European hare adaptions for high speed running in hares include wider nostrils and larger hearts. In comparison to the European rabbit, the hare has a proportionally smaller stomach and caecum. This hare is one of the largest of the lagomorphs. Its head and body length can range from with a tail length of . The body mass is typically between . The hare's elongated ears range from from the notch to tip. It also has long hind feet that have a length of between . The skull has nasal bones that are short, but broad and heavy. The supraorbital ridge has well-developed
Rabbit stew book was first published in 1747. A stewed hare dish is included in "The Forme of Cury", a book of English recipes published in the 14th century. The recipe therein called for the use of noodles in the dish, with an option to use wafers or oblatas in place of noodles. Both hare stew and rabbit stew are included in "Le Viandier de Taillevent", a recipe collection with an initial publishing dated to circa 1300. It is unclear when these recipes first appeared in the cookbook, which was published in 24 editions. The hare stew recipe therein calls for the