Jugged Hare

Serves 4-6

When I was young, hare were plentiful and would often just turn up on my grandparents' porch, given to them in exchange for a few pounds of Granddad's tomatoes, or some heads of his fine, prize-winning chrysanthemums. I wasn't much of a hare fan then - and the attendant sink full of blood didn't do much for my appetite, either. These days, though, I love the hare's unique flavour, whether it is simply braised or in a rich sauce with pasta.

A freshly caught and skinned hare will yield a good half-litre of blood, which is traditionally used to thicken the sauce. You will certainly need a good butcher or a friendly game keeper to supply you with a hare and with the blood. Don't worry if you can't get hold of the blood; hare has a good gamey flavour anyway. The combination of the marinating and slow cooking will create a memorable feast.

I've suggested using just the legs here, as it's a shame to braise the whole saddle; the fillets, when removed or roasted on the bone, are very tender and would make a substantial meal with quite a different flavour and texture.

8 hare hind legs
500ml red wine
4 juniper berries, chopped
1 bay leaf
A few sprigs of thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1tbsp flour, plus extra for dusting
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 onion, finely chopped
50g butter
1tbsp tomato purée

3 litres beef stock (or 3 good-quality stock cubes dissolved in that amount of hot water)

Cut the hare legs in half at the 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 heavy 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 purée, 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 1 hour (or you can cook this in an oven that has been preheated to 160C/gas mark 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 all the pieces of meat from the sauce and set aside. Continue to simmer the sauce until it has thickened to a gravy-like consistency, then return the pieces of meat to warm through until it's ready to serve. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with mashed or roasted root vegetables - beetroot that has been boiled well and blended is good with this dish.