Recipes

Chosen from British Regional Cooking by Mark Hix. If and when you spot hare, either at your butchers or local farmers market, this recipe is a great way to use the back legs - unlike the saddle they respond best to slow cooking.

Serving 4-6

    8 hare back legs
    500ml red wine
    4 juniper berries, chopped
    1 bay leaf
    a few sprigs of thyme
    salt and freshly ground black pepper
    1 tbsp flour, plus extra for dusting
    vegetable oil, for frying
    50g butter
    ½tbsp tomato paste
    3 litres beef stock (or 3 good-quality stock cubes dissolved in that amount of hot water)

Method

Cut the hare legs in half at the middle joint and then cut them once more through the middle of the thigh, so you end up with 3 pieces from each leg. Put the pieces into a non-reactive bowl or dish, together with the red wine, juniper, bay leaf and thyme. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.

Drain the hare in a colander over a bowl and pat the pieces dry with some kitchen paper. Season the pieces of hare and lightly flour them, dusting off any excess. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the pieces, a few at a time, until well coloured, then put to one side on a plate.

Meanwhile, in a heavy-based saucepan gently cook the onion in the butter for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the tablespoon of flour and stir well over a medium heat until it begins to turn a sandy colour. Add the tomato paste, then slowly add the red wine and herbs from the marinade, stirring well to avoid lumps forming. Bring to the boil and simmer over a medium heat until the liquid has reduced to half the volume.

Add the beef stock and hare, bring back to the boil, cover and simmer gently for one hour (you can cook this in the oven preheated to 160º/ gas 3). Remove a piece of meat to check if it’s tender; if not, continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so.

Once the meat is tender, remove the pieces of meat from the sauce and simmer the sauce until it has thickened to a gravy-like consistency, then return the pieces of meat to warm through and serve. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve with mashed or roasted root vegetables – beetroot is particularly good with it.