Thursday, April 9, 2015

H is for Hare

Boxing HaresIt turns out that the hare I am thinking about is the European Hare an animal which was, when I was young anyway, very plentiful in England. The hare is larger than the rabbit and has long ears and powerful back legs which it uses to escape from it’s enemies. They are generally a shy animal and mostly only appear at night except in spring when they can be seen running around the fields and frequently ‘boxing’ which is the female hitting the male with her paws.

This is a dish I can remember my parents making when I was fairly young. I have neither seen or heard of it in many years.

Jugged Hare


This jugged hare recipe is by Stephen Englefield, head chef at the Jugged Hare in London.

Ingredients for jugged hare:
  • 8 hare hindlegs Jugged Hare
  • 1litre red wine
  • 4 juniper berries, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1tbsp flour, plus extra for dusting
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 50g butter
  • 1tbsp tomato puree
  • 3litres beef stock
  • 300ml hare blood (can be bought from butcher’s)

How to cook this jugged hare recipe:
  1. Cut the hare legs in half at the joint, then cut them through the middle of the thigh, so you have three pieces from each leg.
  2. 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.
  3. Drain the hare in a colander over a bowl and pat the pieces dry with some kitchen paper. Keep the marinade.
  4. Season the pieces of hare and lightly flour them, dusting off any excess.
  5. 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.
  6. Meanwhile, in a heavy-based saucepan, gently cook the onion in the butter for three to four minutes until soft.
  7. Add the tablespoon of flour and stir well over a medium heat until it begins to turn a sandy colour.
  8. Add the tomato purée, then slowly add the red wine and herb 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.
  9. Add the beef stock and hare, bring back to the boil, cover and simmer gently for an hour (or you can cook this in an oven that has been preheated to 160°C/gas mark 3).
  10. Remove a piece of meat to check if it is tender; if not, continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so.
  11. Once the meat is tender, remove all the pieces of meat from the sauce and set aside.
  12. Add the blood and 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. Add more seasoning if necessary.
Have a great day
Jo_thumb[2]

34 comments:

  1. That looks delicious! Although we do not get hare meat in India, I have had rabbit meat and I find it quite delicious.

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  2. Hi Jo - hares are incredible creatures aren't they ... I'm not sure I've ever seen one in real life. I have made jugged hare years ago .. when I did a lot of cooking ... it is a very rich, but very good winter dish .. cheers Hilary

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    1. Me either, I wonder how prolific they are nowadays. Remember seeing a TV programme about hare coursing which I thought was dreadful. Never cooked it myself, never seen it for sale. Kudos to you for having done so.

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  3. I'm sure my hub would eat that no problem but he's used to game meat.

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    1. I wouldn't want to cook for you JoJo but Russell, no problem.

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    1. Well she's making him work for it Alex.

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  5. What is the difference between hare and rabbit? We have rabbits here, but they never get very large, too tempting for the coyotes. I used to see rabbit meat in the super market, but not for a long time. Wonder if I could order it? Great recipe with some history behind it.

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    1. I am not sure Natasha, having just grown up accepting they were different, I have never really thought about it. They are bigger and stronger I think with long ears. Google would explain I guess. They don't taste the same, hare is a stronger flavour. Used to be very popular once upon a time. As for a rabbit recipe, wait for R.

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  6. It's years since I had jugged hare. You are lucky if you can find a hare for sale.
    The last hare I saw had been a road kill victim near our village.

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    1. What a shame. They were a fascinating animal.

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  7. Looks delicious! I've never dreamed of eating hare!

    Elizabeth Mueller
    AtoZ 2015
    My Little Pony

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    1. Used to be very popular when I was a youngster.

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  8. I think I had jugged hare when I was a kid... and if I'm right, I didn't like it 'cos my mom was "killing the rabbits from Watership Down."

    Yes, I know... different animals, but not to little oul' me :)

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    1. Never did see that movie. But yes, I can quite see how that came about.

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  9. Fun photo! I've never heard of Jugged Hare. Sounds really good. We had, in Texas, a "Jackalope" ha ha. Go figure. Here's more info than you want to know... http://www.chuckstoyland.com/potpourri/jackalope%20postcards/

    Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com

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    1. Yup, I remember hearing about the jackalope!! Long time ago Lisa, my parents certainly enjoyed it enough to cook it.

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  10. Like Susan (above) I've never dreamed of eating hare, and to be honest, I'm not likely to be cooking it anytime soon. I'm not even sure where I'd be able to buy one! You make it sound delicious, though--and I love the term "jugged."

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    1. I am told you don't often see them in the UK any more so I guess it's a dish that's gone with the wind.

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    2. I visited your blog Kem. I would have commented but couldn't see anywhere to do so.

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  11. Oh my-I laughed out loud knowing she is boxing her mates ears-too bad she doesn't have a rolling pin in her paw:) I know I ate rabbit when I was a kid but don't remember the taste. My mom grew up with farm animals even though they did not have a farm per se. They used to name the animals and then they would eat them. She recalled lovingly taking care of a rabbit (she was born in Germany) and then it was dinner. I was aghast! Never name your dinner! Even though they are abundant I could not eat them

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    1. No, I agree, don't name them. It is rather cute how she boxes his ears isn't it? We can get rabbit here in Ontario, but never seen hare.

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  12. Jo,

    what brave H post.

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  13. The recipe sounds good. Even so, I'm imagining hares boxing now and can't imagine eating them at the same time.

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    1. Probably can't get hold of a hare to eat anyway unfortunately.

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  14. Nope cannot do it, I would love to say for a bowl of soup... there is a hare in my soup... lol I know I will go stand in the corner and think about what I have done...

    Jeremy [Retro]
    AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2015]

    There's no earthly way of knowing.
    Which direction we are going!

    HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
    Come Visit: You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?

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    1. Yes and put on your Dunce cap until I tell you, you are released.

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  15. I remember eating rabbit at my grandparents house as a kid. But that's the last time I ate it. Except for those chocolate Easter bunnies last weekend.

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    1. I ate chocolate bunnies last weekend too.

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  16. Grandma made rabbit stew once and told my mother it was chicken until after she'd eaten it all. I thought it was chicken too. I've eaten crocodile and thought it tasted like chicken as well. Why does everything taste like chicken?

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    1. I think because a lot of the ways we cook things impart the same flavours to the meat. I've had alligator and that too tasted exactly like the fried chicken I had had for supper the night before.

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  17. I haven't heard of this hare. My mom would sometimes cook rabbit. I couldn't make myself eat it, she never made me eat it and would let me have something else (usually a sandwich)

    betty

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