This is a lovely wintry dish that is very easy to make and is great for those cold nights by the fire.
Ingredients
4 hare legs
100g smoked bacon cut into large lardons
4 carrots peeled and chopped into 1 cm dice
2 onions peeled and chopped into 1 cm dice
2 sticks celery chopped into 1 cm dice.
5 banana shallots peeled and chopped into 1 cm dice
1 bulb garlic split in half
10 star anise
Few sprigs thyme
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp juniper berries
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
500ml red wine
500ml port
50g redcurrant jelly
100g frozen redcurrants
2g salt
20g flour
500ml white chicken stock
50ml vegetable oil
40g butter
Method
Pre-heat the Oven 170c
Season the legs with salt and pepper then roll in the flour, keeping any excess flour to add later. Heat up a casserole pot on a medium heat then add the oil. When hot add ½ the butter then place in the legs and seal all over till golden, turning on all sides. This should take no more than five minutes.
Then turn the temperature down to low and remove the legs. Add remaining butter & a little more oil, before adding the carrots, bacon, thyme, anise, garlic, pepper, fennel, and salt then cook until golden roasted on a medium heat for five minutes.
Then add the celery, onion, and shallot and cook for a further five minutes till it is all nicely coloured. Add any remaining flour, cook for a minute then add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the port, redcurrant jelly, redcurrants and enough chicken stock to cover.
Bring this to a simmer, take off the stove to cool and add the legs. Leave to marinate in the stock for a day. When you wish to eat bring it to a simmer, cover with a sheet of parchment paper & a lid, place into the oven for 2-2 1/2 hours till tender and the stock has reduced down.