Bad Hare day!

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Bad Hare day!

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Maranne

Joined: 12 Apr 2005
Posts: 16
Location: Orkney Islands, Scotland

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 05 8:54 am Post subject: Bad Hare day!
A few weeks ago a hare commited suicide under my car early one morning on my way home from the night shift. I picked it up and thought of a tasty meal I hung it for about 10 days in a cold shed then skinned and cleaned it. It is now in the freezer and I don't know what to do with it Any suggestions? Cheers Martyn

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 05 9:02 am Post subject:
Cab's always going on about hare, I'm sure he'll have a few tips for you if no-one else comes up with a suggestion

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 05 10:29 am Post subject:

I wouldn't try to cook it all at once unless you have a crowd to feed. I also think that the saddle and legs need separate treatment.

Have a look at this thread for what to do with the saddle.
https://forum.downsizer.net/about3141.html
It really was delicious (don't forget to remove the silvery membrane over the meat - it makes it a lot easier to eat).

For the legs, you want long slow cooking IMO - bottle of wine and shallots sort of stuff. Hare soup is pretty good too.

sara jane goodey

Joined: 12 Apr 2005
Posts: 45
Location: north wales

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 05 11:43 am Post subject: nuts about hares

To age a hare you need to give it a good examination look at the fur is it grey round the muzzle if yes you'got a pensioner.Look at the teeth, and the paws young hares will have soft fluffy feet and not much visible claw, old ones will have hard claws sticking out. Finally rip the ear, if it tears easily its a sure sign its young. Ageing hares is vital, as it depends how you cook them. Young meat can be cooked anyway you want once jointed, just remember its vv strong flavour. i would reccommend jugged hare if you are a hare virgin, it will have you buying a lurcher (oops is this legal anymore) or setting snares!!
JUGGED HARE: Put jointed hare in a bowl with 2 tbs of oil, 1/2 pint of red wine,marjoram,sliced onion,a few cloves,bay leaves and s&p.leave to marinade for 6hrs (upto 24 is ok)
Fry the joints until brown,then add the marinade,3 chopped carrots and 3 chopped sticks of celery, juice and rind of 1 orange,bouquet garni and a pint of stock, bring to the boil and bung in the oven for 3-31/2 hrs at gas 3 or 160'c. Strain off the juices and thicken with cornflour and adda slash of port and 2tbs of red currant jelly.Serve with buttery mash and red cabbage.Gorgeous.You'll be converted.

Maranne

Joined: 12 Apr 2005
Posts: 16
Location: Orkney Islands, Scotland

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 05 1:50 pm Post subject:
Thanks for all the tips. Sara Jane, I must admit that I didn't inspect the hare to determine it's age. However as I hit it at the beginning of March I would guess that it must be a year old at the youngest. I look forward to trying the jugged hare recipe, how many folk should it feed? Cheers Martyn

sara jane goodey

Joined: 12 Apr 2005
Posts: 45
Location: north wales

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 05 11:02 am Post subject: hares are great
well martyn that depends probably 6 people but my partner and i have cained a whole one betwen us, but thats because we love it and we're greedy!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 05 11:23 am Post subject:

Sarah Jane covered most of what needs to be said.

I've never had a road-kill hare, but I'd advise making sure that it's not too badly damaged inside.

Butchering it is a pile of laughs; like a rabbit only bigger, harder, and a lot bloodier. Save the blood! Add that to the jugged hare at the end; strain off the sauce, add it little by little to the blood, stirring all the time, then heat the meat back in it. Be GENTLE, you want to stop it curdling, which doesn't ruin the flavour but makes it look a little manky. A square or three of really dark chocolate added melted in at the end lift the dish from being a classic to being a work of art!

Marinating is kind of useful, but add in plenty of oil in the marinade too. Olive oil is good.

If the whole thing is too big for you, joint out the saddle, wrap it in fatty bacon, wrap it in foil and freeze it. It's a superb slow roasting joint for two, left to thaw and then roasted in the foil.

Any spare jugged hare can be stripped from the bone and frozen in the sauce. Makes a great accompaniment for pasta.

The only thing I'd add is that you should save the liver and heart; they can go into the jugged hare, but I freeze them seperately till I have enough game offal for a terrine.

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