CookEat Recipe
Hare Stew with Mushrooms
Jointed hare browned with onion, garlic, rosemary and prosciutto, then slowly stewed with wine, mushrooms, stock and tomato.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: Half a hare, about 1 kg, legally supplied for food and professionally cleaned, cut into pieces at the joints; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 celery stalk about a handspan long, finely chopped; The leaves from 2 small rosemary sprigs, finely chopped; 20 g butter; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4–5 finger-width strips of prosciutto, about 50 g; Salt, black pepper and a small pinch of mixed spice; 100 ml dry white wine; Marsala may replace it; 150 g fresh edible mushrooms, sliced; About 400 ml stock, added gradually as needed; 200 ml sieved tomato or tomato puree; Optional finishing adjustment: about 10 g additional butter.
Step 2
Use professionally cleaned hare from a lawful food supply. Heat the 20 g butter and two tablespoons of oil in a heavy pan. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery and rosemary with the prosciutto strips and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Add the jointed hare and season with salt, pepper and a small pinch of mixed spice. Brown on all sides over moderate heat, about 12–15 minutes, taking care not to burn the vegetables. Add the white wine and simmer for about 3 minutes.
Step 4
Add the fresh mushrooms, tomato and enough stock for a gentle braise. Cover and simmer slowly for about 90–130 minutes, turning occasionally and adding stock a little at a time if needed, until the hare reaches at least 74°C and is tender. Older hare may require longer.
Step 5
Taste the cooked sauce and, only if it needs enriching, stir in the optional 10 g butter. Serve with the mushroom sauce and cooked prosciutto, taking care with bones. For dried mushrooms, replace the fresh mushrooms with about 10 g dried edible mushrooms soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, rinsed of grit and sliced; add at the same stage and cook at least 15 minutes. Marsala may replace the white wine. Instead of 200 ml sieved tomato, use about 1 tablespoon tomato paste mixed with 150 ml water.
Step 6
For the separate dolce-forte variation referred to in recipe 285, replace the entire main seasoning and sauce with the ingredients below; do not also add the main stew’s butter, garlic, rosemary, wine, mushrooms or tomato. For the same 1 kg hare, finely chop half an onion, half a large carrot, two celery stalks, a small pinch of parsley and 30 g prosciutto. Put them beneath the hare with about 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper, brown all around, spoon off much of the fat, dust with about 1 teaspoon flour and braise gently with hot water added gradually until tender and at least 74°C, roughly 90–150 minutes. Lift the hare, strain the sauce and return both to the pan.
Step 7
For that dolce-forte sauce, mix 40 g small dried currants, 30 g chopped plain dark chocolate, 30 g pine nuts, 20 g chopped candied citrus peel and 50 g sugar with about 30 ml wine vinegar. Add to the cooked hare and strained sauce and simmer for about 10–15 minutes, stirring until combined. Add a little more vinegar to taste only if needed. The simpler source variation uses just the sugar and vinegar, omitting currants, chocolate, pine nuts and candied peel. To make ahead, cool promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours at 4°C or colder, and reheat once to 74°C the next day.
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