After reading our Glossary to Wild Game, you’re now ready to do a little hunting of your own. But where to find the animals in Paris?
Biche (doe, young female deer)
- In a ragout with chestnut flour papardelle at Frenchie – via Facebook in 2013
- With airelle (cranberry) sauce at Bistrot Paul Bert –John Talbott’s Paris in 2010
Canard sauvage (wild duck)
- Rubbed with coriander seeds and cooked whole with sauce “Bigarade” at L’Auberge du 15 – via Meg Zimbeck in 2013
- With wings in orange sauce, legs in blood sausages, with turnips at Le Meurice – Chrisoscope in 2011
- With chocolate sauce at Le Pré Verre – via L’Express 2011
Cerf (stag, older male deer)
- Seared steak, served with red wine sauce and chard at Le Repaire de Cartouche – via Meg Zimbeck in 2010
Chevreuil (fallow deer)
- Cooked in the façon “Rossini” with duck foie gras and sauce “Grand Veneur” at L’Auberge du 15 [menu in 2013]
- Served rare with pomegranate seeds at Spring Restaurant –Chrisoscope in 2010
- With cranberries and small beans at Le Repaire de Cartouche –L’Express in 2009
Colvert (wild duck)
- “Façon hiver” in a bouillon de gibier at Chez l’Ami Jean -via Facebook in 2013
- Served in a tourte with Scottish grouse at Les Ambassadeurs -via Meg Zimbeck in 2010
- In a terrine with foie gras at Le Dauphin – via Barbra Austin via Flickr in 2010
- Roasted with wild mushrooms at Le Bistrot des Soupirs – via Croque Camille in 2010
- With girolle mushrooms at Miroir – via Clotilde Dusoulier via Flickr in 2008
- Served with quince at La Cerisaie – via Barbra Austin’s Flickr in 2009
Faisan (pheasant)
- Roasted with turnip sauerkraut at L’Epicuriste – via Patricia Wells in 2010
Grouse
- Tourte Façon “Sainte Alliance” with jus aux griottine at L’Auberge du 15 – via Meg Zimbeck in 2013
- Inside a tourte feuilletée (flaky savory pie) at L’Auberge du 15 – via Food Intelligence in 2011
- With cabbage at Le Repaire de Cartouche – via John Talbott’s Paris in 2011
- Served in a tourte with wild duck at Les Ambassadeurs – via Meg Zimbeck’s Flickr in 2010
Lièvre (hare)
- À la royal at Chez Géraud – via Facebook in 2013
- À la royal, with potato and poached foie gras at Chez l’Ami Jean -via Facebook in 2013
- Terrine de lièvre with beet salad at Le Cornichon – via Meg Zimbeck in 2013
- In a parmentier with foie gras at Le Repaire de Cartouche – via Meg Zimbeck in 2010
- À la royale at Les Ambassadeurs – via Meg Zimbeck’s Flickr in 2010
- À la royale at L’Epicuriste – via Philippe Toinard in 2010
- À la royale at Le Repaire de Cartouche – via Meg Zimbeck’s Flickr in 2010
- Saddle and civet with dark chocolate sauce and quince at Passage 53 – via Meg Zimbeck’s Flickr in 2009
- À la royale at Senderens – via Ptipois and Simon Says! in 2008
Marcassin (wild young boar)
- Mijoté au Vin d’ Oc with foie gras shavings at L’Auberge du 15 – via Meg Zimbeck in 2013
Palombe (wood pigeon)
- Overcooked with potato purée at Pottoka – via Hungry for Paris in 2011
- With lentils at Le Violin d’Ingres – via John Talbott’s Paris in 2011
- Roasted with foie gras ravioli at La Cerisaie – via Barbra Austin in 2009
Perdrix, perdreau (partridge)
- With cuisses confites and a hash of Brussels sprouts, potatoes and chestnuts at Le Cornichon – via Meg Zimbeck in 2013
- Roasted in Armagnac at L’Auberge du 15 – via Meg Zimbeck in 2013
- Breast roasted, legs in confit, with sweet potato mousse & bok choy at FL – via Simon Says! in 2011
- “So overcooked as to be bordering on the shameful” at Cobea -via John Talbott’s Paris in 2011
- Served with cabbage and brussel sprouts at Les Ambassadeurs – via Meg Zimbeck’s Flickr in 2010
- Roasted with cabbage at Philou – via Meg Zimbeck’s Flickr in 2010
Sanglier (wild boar)
- In a Bolognaise sauce with gnocchi at Le Cornichon – via Meg Zimbeck in 2013
- In jambon (ham) form at Retro’Bottega – via Food Intelligence in 2011
- In a daube with a puree of celery root at Le Repaire de Cartouche – via Meg Zimbeck’s Flickr in 2010
- Stewed for seven hours and served in a parmentier at La Cerisaie – via Barbra Austin in 2009
- In a terrine at L’Epicuriste – via Philippe Toinard in 2010
Want more wild?
Meg is of course correct, although things are complicated by several factors:
1. As one website says “La chasse à tir dure donc 6 mois (de septembre à février), mais le tir peut en fait se pratiquer 10 mois par an !” http://www.roc.asso.fr/chasse-france/periode-chasse-france.html
2. The opening and closing of the season(s) progresses from South (Corsica) to North over this period.
3. The earliest game on my street appears just after le rentree, it being Scots grouse, thus dirty little secret #1 is that not all game is from France.
4. The latest game I’ve had is the famous biche at the Biche au Bois, in January-February, leading one to suppose that dirty little secret #2 is that some is stored away and/or frozen, maybe even by the evil Dudes at Metro.
5. And, dirty little secret #3 is, how shall I put it, that not all game is gamely gotten, that is, it’s not shot by some tough Jean Gabin type guy in the isolated mountains but by some rich opportunist or just some poor working slob trying to eek out a living shooting stuff in enclosed areas or for all I know, in cages (not mine or my father’s way, but….)
6. Finally, to help others, interested in minutae, our Minister of/for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing (which covers hunting/Chasse), Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, a distant relative of one of our saviours, General Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Ko?ciuszko, for whom the Brooklyn-Queens Bridge was named, publishes each year a list of hunting periods at http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/-La-chasse-.html
Hi Dawn,
The availability of game in Paris restaurants depends in large part on the season(s) for authorized hunting in France. As far as I can tell, the official end of hunting season in most départements (geographic areas) is January 31, although some animals have shorter seasons. In general, the birds and the bunny (lièvre) will be finished by early to mid-December, although it’s possible you may still see some faisan (pheasant) in mid-January. The game you’ll most likely see at that time will be sanglier (wild boar) and cerf, chevreuil & daim (various deer).
Have a great trip!
My husband LOVES wild game…I have been torturing him with your website for weeks now. We are thinking of making a surprise trip to Paris in mid January. Can anyone here let me know if there will still be game on the menu anywhere, and if so, what? Thanks!
Thanks for posting!
I absolutely love game season in France – it’s what separates us from them. Unfortunately for us (in North America) we have somehow lost our connection to the seasons and to the bounty of wild game to be enjoyed.