Haring along the road
We left home this morning to travel to a nearby town to do some messages for Mrs H. Within a couple of hundred yards from home we met this fellow running along the road just in front of the car. Very quickly I grabbed the camera whilst Mrs H continued driving. I pointed and clicked not knowing exactly how the photo would turn out.
Eventually Mr Hare made a sharp right turn and ducked under the bottom of some wrought iron entrance gates and up someones driveway. A good decision by him for a minute later we met a large tractor coming towards us.
Of all the Game that there is to be had I have never eaten hare and doubt that I ever will.
The reason is that within my pagan tradition The Hare is seen as a shape shifter and might be the incarnation of a dead friend.
Some of you may very well be inclined to eat a hare so here is a recipe for Jugged Hare, so called so because the chefs of old would cook the skinned and jointed hare in a jug. Today a casserole will suffice.
Hare on plate
Ingredients:
• 1 hare.
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar.
• Olive oil.
• Seasoned flour.
• Game stock.
• 1 onion, studded with cloves.
• Bunch of thyme, marjoram & parsley.
• 1 bay leaf.
• Pinch of nutmeg.
• Pinch of mace.
• 2 tblsp redcurrant jelly.
• 150ml (5floz) port or claret.
• Salt & pepper.
Method:
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
• Joint the hare, saving the blood & liver.
• Mix the blood with the vinegar to prevent it congealing.
• Heat some oil in a pan, dust the hare pieces with seasoned flour and brown them in the oil.
• Transfer to an ovenproof dish and pour over the stock to cover.
• Add the onion, herbs and spices.
• Cover tightly and place in the oven for about 3 hours.
• Strain the liquid into a pan and return it to the boil.
• Add the redcurrant jelly.
• Pour a little liquid into the blood and stir until smooth.
• Add the blood to the gravy and cook to thicken, but do not boil.
• Add the wine and season to taste.
• Arrange the meat on a dish and pour over the sauce.
Interesting story about the hare. Greetings and thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment O'Ratti
DeleteOh Heron, you have made my day. I 'collect' hares - I have statues, cards, pictures - all over the house. To me they are quite magical creatures and coming as I do from the flatlands of the Lincolnshire Fens I was very used to seeing them in my childhood. My mother adored jugged hare but I would never eat it because I loved them even then. I used to smell a hare cooking long before I reached home they are so strong. I have read a lot about the folk lore surrounding them - they were the familiar to the goddess Freya, they have various names, my favourite being Dew Flirt. We do occasionally see them here especially in March/April time and as far as I know no-one shoots them.
ReplyDeleteHello Pat !
DeleteThank you for your very interesting observations and memories of the "Dew Flirt". That name is very attractive and new to me - thanks.
Here in Ireland it is the Cailleach/ The Hag / Old Wise Woman who on occasions turns into a Hare.
We see them from March onwards crossing the fields nearest to our home and quite often they use a well known faerie path.
I've not eaten hare, but I have rabbit. Loves its taste, but it's almost impossible to find in a restaurant or at the grocery store.
ReplyDeleteYears ago rabbit stew was a common dish for country folk right up until the mid 1950's. In fact it was rabbit that kept people in England alive during WW2 and they even made gloves and caps from the skin.
DeleteThank you for your comment Janet.
It looks very good, Mel, although I am a vegetarian myself and prefer to see the hare running alive than in gravy on my plat :) That said, my mother did jugged hare very well too, so I can imagine the rather good smell of your dish here.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment Val.
DeleteCould have sworn I saw pearl barley in there.
ReplyDeleteYou probably need new spectacles :)
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