The rich taste of autumn and winter in a single dish. This recipe by hunter Ger van Hout uses a full adult hare, marinated in red wine for 48 hours and slow-cooked until the meat falls off the bone. A Dutch hunting classic every hunter should know.
Serves: 4 to 6
Prep: 30 min + 48 hours marinating
Cook time: 3 hours
Ingredients
- 1 full adult hare
- 2 bottles of red wine
- 2 large leeks
- 1 celeriac
- 4 onions
- 2 winter carrots
- 3 bay leaves
- 8 cloves
- 4 juniper berries
- 75 g butter
- 1 box of mushrooms
- 4 slices of gingerbread (ontbijtkoek)
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- 3 tbsp cranberry sauce, cranberry jam or redcurrant jelly
- Salt and pepper
- 100 ml cream
Method
1. Cut the celeriac into chunks. Slice the leeks, onions and winter carrots.
2. Cut the hare into pieces. Remove the front legs and hind legs and cut the body in two.
3. Place all pieces of hare with the vegetables, bay leaves, cloves, juniper berries and red wine in a large bowl. Make sure everything is submerged. Refrigerate for 48 hours.
4. After 48 hours: remove the hare pieces and pat dry with a tea towel. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Brown the hare pieces on all sides in 50 g butter in a cast iron pan. Keep the lid off.
6. Scoop the vegetables from the marinade and fry briefly with the hare. Pour in the marinade, cover, and stew for 2 hours on the lowest heat. Done when the meat falls off the bone.
7. Remove the hare pieces and allow to cool. Carefully remove all bones. Strain the marinade through a sieve and keep the liquid. Discard the rest.
8. Clean the pan. Fry the sliced mushrooms in the remaining butter. Add the strained sauce, gingerbread and cranberry sauce. Simmer gently until a thick sauce forms.
9. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the cream.
10. Add the meat back in and stir gently. Let it simmer for another hour on the lowest heat.
Tips from Ger
- Make the stew a day ahead and let it rest overnight. The flavour deepens considerably
- Serve with boiled potatoes or mash, celeriac purée, red cabbage with apple and Brussels sprouts
- Halved pears with a dollop of cranberry sauce make a perfect side
- Leftovers can be frozen and kept for up to 3 months
- Use a cast iron pan for best results
- Pour a good Merlot with dinner
Recipe by Ger van Hout
