FARE GAME’S HARE CASSEROLE (with chocolate)!!
Ingredients
1 good size hare (jointed) 1 onion, cut into chunks Serves 4
2 carrots, cut into chunks 1 celery stick, cut into chunks
1 leek, cut into chunks 6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf Sprig of thyme
4 juniper berries, bruised ½ bottle red wine
1 Tablespoon flour 1 Tablespoon tomato puree
Olive oil for frying Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g smoked streaky bacon, cut into pieces 50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
2 carrots, cut into chunks 1 celery stick, cut into chunks
1 leek, cut into chunks 6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf Sprig of thyme
4 juniper berries, bruised ½ bottle red wine
1 Tablespoon flour 1 Tablespoon tomato puree
Olive oil for frying Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g smoked streaky bacon, cut into pieces 50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
Method
Put the hare, chopped vegetables, garlic, herbs and juniper in a large dish, pour over the red wine to cover (top up with water if necessary), then leave to marinate overnight.
The next day, strain the meat through a colander, keeping the wine. Pat the meat dry, sauté the bacon gently in a heavy casserole until it releases its fat. Add the vegetables and garlic from the marinade and sauté until golden, then remove from the pan.
Add some olive oil to the pan and brown the hare in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside. Deglaze combine and thicken. Tuck in the hare and vegetables, add the herbs from the marinade and pour in the remaining wine. The hare and vegetables should be barely covered with the wine; if necessary top up with a little water. Add the chopped chocolate, a good pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Cover tightly, then transfer to an oven preheated to 160 and cook for about 2 ½ - 3 hours, until the meat is coming away from the bones. The exact cooking time will depend on the age of the hare - older animals take longer. Eat with mash!
The next day, strain the meat through a colander, keeping the wine. Pat the meat dry, sauté the bacon gently in a heavy casserole until it releases its fat. Add the vegetables and garlic from the marinade and sauté until golden, then remove from the pan.
Add some olive oil to the pan and brown the hare in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside. Deglaze combine and thicken. Tuck in the hare and vegetables, add the herbs from the marinade and pour in the remaining wine. The hare and vegetables should be barely covered with the wine; if necessary top up with a little water. Add the chopped chocolate, a good pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Cover tightly, then transfer to an oven preheated to 160 and cook for about 2 ½ - 3 hours, until the meat is coming away from the bones. The exact cooking time will depend on the age of the hare - older animals take longer. Eat with mash!
Comments
We live in a country with a delicious range of wild foods and Hare seems to be forgotten, as it’s furry cousin the rabbit gets all the lime light. You will be pleasantlysurprised by the flavour of hare . It is gamey, the flesh is darker in colour than rabbit, and the meat is very lean.
This recipe makes a good, rich winter evening meal. Don’t omit the chocolate, which is essential to thicken and enrich the casserole. The beauty of this dish is that it really looks after itself. It is best if reheated the next day, as it develops a fuller flavour overnight.
Any leftovers can be stripped from the bone and served with papperdelle to make one of the finest pasta dishes ever