A Sardinian Hare Stew

Our main Summer holiday last year was a week's break in Sardinia. I'd always been curious about this big island, part of Italy but sitting apart from it, with its own unique language (although italian is spoken by all) and culture. I didn't know much about the island but had heard reports of a wild interior and beautiful coastline. However, apart from that I knew very little. I found what seemed an interesting, quirky small house to rent via Air BnB in San Teodoro (near to Olbia), started to learn some italian via Duolingo.com (it's free and very good, even if I'm not sure I'll ever use a phrase with the word 'turtle' in it!) and booked our flights.

Before we had headed off I had conversed, via the magic of Google translate, with the Air BnB hosts, Rosalia and Mario, and had asked about some places they could recommend for a food lover such as greedy me. When we arrived we had the warmest of welcomes from them and found they had stocked the fridge with fruit, salad, bread and gorgeous homemade sugo.

Armed with their research we headed off into the mountains and sought out a village food and craft festival where suckling pigs turned on spits in courtyards, wine tastings took place in private front rooms, a little lady showed us how to make fregula ,the sardinan couscous-like pasta, we bought the best nougat ever and we got to sample dishes we never found what the ingredients were (I believe intestines and blood figured somewhere). Fantastic.

Naturally I brought back some memories in the form of food products and bowls (you can never have enough bowls IMO). And of course a cookbook. I couldn’t resist a tri-language cookbook, sardinian, italian and english and I loved the rustic paper and little illustrations.

Months later, when Sardinia seemed a distant dream and I had a haunch of hare to cook, it was to wild Sardinia I turned and I cooked the hare somewhat based on the on the traditional sardinian recipe; ”Lepre in salsina” that was in the cookbook. Unusual in that it includes a good amount of capers.

Verdict? Absolutely gorgeous and happily enough I have a second haunch of hare in the freezer (like you do) and as hare seems like a perfect dish for March Madness I’ll be making this again very soon.

Hare cooked in the Sardinian style

1 haunch of hare, approx 335 gms
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons capers (preserved in salt preferably, rinsed of salt)
olive oil
splash wine vinegar, (to taste, a couple tablespoons)
1 pinch saffron
1 tablespoon mixed chopped fresh herbs:bay, thyme, winter savory etc
(add according to taste or availability)
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
500 mls warm water, approx
zest & juice of half a lemon
1 chicken jelly stockpot, (optional)
1/2 teaspoon apple syrup or a pinch of sugar / honey,
(something to add a touch of sweet)
4-5 cherry tomatoes, halved
s & p

Method

Brown the meat in a flameproof casserole dish with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions, garlic and very gently sauté for a minute or two making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Meanwhile soak the saffron in 300 mls of the warm water.

Add the capers, 2 tblsp of parsley, other herbs if using, a splash of vinegar. Then add the soaked saffron and water and jelly stockpot (optional).

Simmer on a very low flame or place in a preheated oven (170C) and cook for up to 2 hours, checking regularly to see if more water is needed (and top up if it does!).

When the meat is tender and falling off the bone, remove the meat, shred and remove the bones. Return the meat to the casserole and add the remaining parsley, apple syrup, tomatoes, the lemon juice along with the zest. Taste and season.

Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with polenta, rice or the sardinian pasta, fregula.