Literal translation
one does not make the stew before having the hare
Meaning
don't count your chickens before they hatch
Explanation
This culinary proverb sets out, through a concrete image, a universal piece of common sense: there is no point preparing the final steps of an undertaking before possessing its essential starting ingredient. The stew, a traditional dish of long-simmered hare, obviously cannot be made without the hare itself, which makes the image immediately understandable and grounds its proverbial authority in an evident fact of rural life and game cookery. The proverb echoes the spirit of the French one should not sell the bear's skin before killing it, sharing the same lesson against premature anticipation and excessive confidence in a still uncertain outcome. It is said in a familiar register to temper an overly hasty project, a promise made before conditions are met, or a premature celebration of a success yet to be achieved, carrying the quiet authority of peasant common sense.