Inspired Jean Siméon Chardin (1699 – 1779) – Hare and copper pot (around 1738)  – Oil on canvas – 16,14 x 12,99 inch

I made a dream last night. A dream coming from my childhood. A dream paying tribute to my grandmother. Every summer, I made my heart happy in the family home in central France. Ii came to my knowledge much later that it was Berry. And a further later that it was George Sand’s land. To fall asleep in the afternoons, my grandmother used to read stories to me. I could choose the one I wanted. And without knowing why, I always took La Mare au diable. The title enchanted me as much as it frightened me. I didn’t know that it had been written by the « great lady ». Her grandmother’s favorite author.

A pleasure that I looked out for eagerly. As soon as the lunch had been swallowed, I headed for the grand staircase of the hall, whose steps I jutted one by one, then two by two, then three by three as I grew up. I still remember some extracts that I could recite by heart without any effort. I had my favorite passages.

Let’s go back to my dream. First of all, it’s about a smell, the smell of blood, of guts. Then, the smell of cooking over low heat in a huge copper pot, as old as my grandmother’s aprons. And this recipe, coming straightaway from George Sand, the hare stew. And here it is, as simple as that. I found it back in a book bought at Nohant The Cookbooks of George Sand 80 recipes of an Epicurean, Editions Chêne.

« In a casserole, brown the 2 chopped onions, the 250 g bacon bits and the hare pieces. Sprinkle with flour and mix well. Leave it yellow and turn again. Add 1 liter of country red wine (cabernet, merlot, …), parsley, thyme and bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil for 30 minutes, add the 5 cl of brandy, then lower the heat and let it stew for 2 hours. If the bacon is yellowing too much, remove it and put it back at the end of cooking. Serve with steamed potatoes. »

The memory would have been very painful if I had witnessed the killing of the hare. But my grandmother took good care to spare me this bloody and sordid step to show me the mix of all the ingredients. She put me on a high stool and held me the wooden spoon. I made a dream last night …