Preparation of hare with baby leeks and quince
Item 1 of 1
- 4
- 2 hours 30 minutes
Roasted saddle, braised leg and shoulder of hare comes served with quince purée, baby beetroots, pickled turnips and red wine essence in this challenging Michelin two star dish. The dish is finished with wood sorrel, hazelnut vinaigrette and a rich game sauce. Fabulous for an ambitious dinner party.
Recipe by Raymond Blanc, chef patron and Gary Jones, executive head chef.
First published in 2015
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Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Rack of hare
- 4 4-bone racks of hare
- 15g of butter
Marinated hare 1
- 2 hare legs
- 2 hare shoulders
- 500ml of red wine, reduced by 1/3
- 40g of onion, cut into 2cm dice
- 20g of carrots, cut into 2cm dice
- 12g of leek, cut into 2cm dice
- 12g of celery, cut into 2cm dice
- 5g of garlic, crushed with the skin on
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Marinated hare 2
- 40g of butter
- black pepper
Hare sauce
- 520g of hare trim and bones
- 15ml of sunflower oil
- 50g of unsalted butter
- 75g of onion, diced
- 75g of carrots, diced
- 38g of leek, diced
- 38g of celery, diced
- 5g of thyme
- 5g of bay leaf
- 10g of unsalted butter
- 140g of banana shallot, diced
- 350g of button mushrooms
- 50g of unsalted butter
- 750ml of brown chicken stock
- 75ml of cream
- 750ml of red wine, reduced to 500ml
- 50ml of red wine vinegar, reduced to 10ml
- 5g of tarragon
Bacon wrapped saddle
- 4 pancetta slices, each weighing 30g
- 4 hare loins, each weighing 160g
- 20g of juniper powder
- 1 tbsp of butter
- 8 juniper berries
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
Hazelnut beurre noisette vinaigrette
- 30g of unsalted butter
- 15ml of hazelnut oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 60 whole hazelnuts, toasted
Pickled wild mushrooms
- 500ml of water
- 6g of garlic, sliced
- 50g of banana shallot, sliced
- 40g of caster sugar
- 15g of salt
- 60ml of olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 175ml of white wine vinegar
- 300g of wild mushrooms, cleaned
Quince slices and purée
- 500g of quince
- 1000ml of water
- 1 1/2 lemons, juiced
- 375ml of Monbazillac
- 125g of clear honey
- 1/2 vanilla pod
Red wine essence
- 23g of unsalted butter
- 80g of banana shallot
- 750ml of red wine
- 150g of button mushrooms
- 375ml of ruby port
- 2g of garlic
- 1g of thyme
- sugar to taste
- 2g of xantana
To plate
- 4 baby gem lettuces
- 24 baby leeks
- wood sorrel
- 1 handful of baby beetroot
- 1 turnip, pickled
SAVE RECIPE
Equipment
- Fine sieve
- Sterilised jars
- Blender
- Vac pac maker
- Water bath
Method
1
For the hare sauce, roast the bones in the oil until evenly coloured. Caramelise the onion, carrot, leek, and celery gently in 50g of butter with the thyme and bay leaf
- 520g of hare trim and bones
- 15ml of sunflower oil
- 50g of unsalted butter
- 75g of onion
- 75g of carrots
- 38g of leek
- 38g of celery
- 5g of thyme
- 5g of bay leaf
2
Gently sweat the shallots in 10g of butter, turn up the heat and brown lightly. Add the mushrooms and 50g of butter and continue to cook until any moisture evaporates and they are caramelised
- 10g of unsalted butter
- 140g of banana shallot
- 350g of button mushrooms
- 50g of unsalted butter
3
Bring the stock, cream, alcohol and vinegar reductions to the boil, skim and begin to reduce
- 750ml of brown chicken stock
- 750ml of red wine
- 75ml of cream
- 50ml of red wine vinegar
4
Add half the bones and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Pass through a fine seive. Bring back to a simmer, adding the remaining bones. Simmer for 10 minutes and add the tarragon. Sieve then season
6
Place the legs and shoulders into the wine. Cool and marinade overnight. When ready, remove from the marinade and allow to drain
7
For the marinated hare 2, heat the butter until foaming and caramelise the marinated shoulders and legs slowly. Season with pepper. Bring the red wine jus to the boil
- 40g of butter
- black pepper
8
Pour the jus over the shoulder and legs. Put into vac pac bags together. Cook in a water bath at 70°C for 4 hours until tender. Alternatively, slowly braise in the oven in a Le Creuset dish
9
For the bacon wrapped loin, lay the pancetta slices on cling film, overlapping them slightly. Cover with another layer of cling film. Gently roll with a rolling pin to ensure the slices are very thin and flat
10
Rest in the fridge. Place the loins together on the pancetta. Sprinkle with the juniper powder and roll it up in the pancetta. Form a tight neat cylinder and wrap tightly in cling film, twisting the ends. Rest in the fridge until required
- 20g of juniper powder
- 4 hare loins
11
Poach at 55°C for 25-30 minutes. Remove the cling film and drain. Heat the butter until it browns then colour and crisp the outside of the loin. Season. Rest in a warm place with the aromats until the core temperature reaches 57°C
- 1 tbsp of butter
- 8 juniper berries
- 1 garlic clove
12
For the rack of hare, heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4. Brown the hare racks in the butter all over, transfer to an oven tray and cook for 6 minutes
- 4 4-bone racks of hare
- 15g of butter
13
For the hazelnut beurre noisette, heat the butter until it browns then strain. Whisk together with the lemon juice. Pour over the toasted hazelnuts and season with salt and pepper
- 30g of unsalted butter
- 15ml of hazelnut oil
- 1 lemon
- 60 whole hazelnuts
14
For the pickled mushrooms, put everything except the mushrooms in a heavy bottomed pan. Bring up to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 20 minutes
- 500ml of water
- 6g of garlic
- 50g of banana shallot
- 40g of caster sugar
- 15g of salt
- 60ml of olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 175ml of white wine vinegar
15
When tepid, strain through a fine sieve into a clean heavy based pan. Bring back to a simmer and pour over the clean mushrooms. Place in a sterile jar and chill
- 300g of wild mushrooms
16
For the quince slices and purée, wash the quince and drain. Peel and place in the water mixed with the lemon juice. Bring the Monbazillac, honey, vanilla, pepper and lemon juice to the boil. Remove from the heat
- 500g of quince
- 1000ml of water
- 1 lemon
- 375ml of Monbazillac
- 125g of clear honey
- 1/2 vanilla pod
17
Cut the quince into 4 pieces (2 larger 2 smaller). Avoid the core. Place the larger pieces of quince into a sous vide bag with 150ml of the liquid
18
Place the smaller pieces of quince into separate sous vide bags to ensure even cooking with 150ml of liquid. Steam for 20 minutes. Select the best presentation slices and trim neatly into 10mm pieces
19
You will require 50% for purée and 50% for presentation. Retain the presentation slices in the cooking liquid. The trimmings may require a further few minutes back in the steamer in vac pack bags with liquor
20
Drain the cooked trimmings, retaining the liquid. Blitz the trimmings in a blender adding a little liquid to make a purée. Pass through a fine sieve
21
For the red wine essence, melt the butter in a heavy based pan and slowly caramelise the shallots then lightly season. Put the red wine and mushrooms in a separate pan and quickly reduce by half to 750ml
- 23g of unsalted butter
- 80g of banana shallot
- 750ml of red wine
- 150g of button mushrooms
23
Correct the seasoning with salt, sugar and black pepper. Infuse for 20 minutes and pass through a fine sieve. Whisk in the xantana using a hand blender. Check the seasoning
24
To dress, warm the lettuce in an emulsion of butter, boiling water and salt. Place the drained lettuce on the plate and piece of braised meat on top. Place the warm beetroot, quince, and baby leeks around and place the rack and saddle onto the plate
- 4 baby gem lettuces
- 24 baby leeks
- 1 handful of baby beetroot
25
Place the sauce around with the red wine essence, sprinkle with toasted hazlenuts and serve
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