If using hare, marinade in a water/vinegar mixture (3:1)
for about 3 hours before starting the dish. This will help to
tenderise the meat.
Ingredients:
- hare or rabbit, wild (1), saddle
- red wine, large glass (1)
- butter or oil for basting
- flour, brown
- mustard seeds, freshly ground
- stock, (½ pint), chicken or light game
- Stuffing:
- breadcrumbs, dry (6oz)
- onion, small (1), peeled and chopped finely
- bacon, streaky (2oz), chopped finely
- egg, (1), beaten
- orange, small (1), grated rind and juice
- thyme, fresh and chopped (1 tsp)
- nutmeg, grated (½ tsp, flat)
- mustard seeds, freshly ground
- butter or oil for frying
Method:
Stuffing:
- Fry bacon and onion gently in a little oil.
- Mix other ingredients with the breadcrumbs.
- Add the bacon and onion. If dry add some orange juice
but do not make it too wet.
Roasting:
- Clean saddle.
- Take a piece of aluminium foil large enough to wrap
around the saddle. Oil the centre.
- Stuff the saddle and place stuffing side down on the
oiled foil. Wrap the saddle with the foil and put on a
roasting tray.
- Place in a pre-heated oven (Mark 4/250ºF/180ºC) and
cook for 25 minutes.
- Open the foil and pour the red wine and remaining
orange juice over the saddle. Close the foil and cook for
a further 30 minutes.
- Open the foil and sprinkle with oil. Close the foil
and cook for a further 35 minutes (Mark 6/400ºF/200ºC).
- Open the foil and check if the meat is almost cooked.
If not, place back into oven until about 10 minutes off cooked.
- Then baste with the juices and sprinkle with flour.
- Leave uncovered and cook for a further 10 minutes
to brown the saddle.
- Add any juices from the meat to the stock in a pan.
Cover the saddle loosely and keep warm.
- Thicken the stock and juices with flour and add a
good splash of red wine.
Serve with mashed celeriac, carrots and brussel sprouts; red currant jelly and beetroot relish.