The Olive Tree World Extra Virgin Olive Oil Recipes

Marinated Hare (or Beef) with Juniper Berries

Ingredients:

For the Marinade:

1-1/2 cups red wine vinegar
6 whole allspice berries
4 whole cloves
4 bay leaves
6 juniper berries, lightly crushed
6 cloves of garlic
12 black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks, broken apart into pieces

For the Hare:

12 serving size pieces of hare, skinless with no excess fat (beef can be substituted)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon ground paprika
2 tablespoons ground coriander
4 pounds small boiling onions, peeled
1 cup red wine
4 bay leaves
4 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 1 tablespoon dried thyme)
Sea salt to taste
Coarsely chopped fresh coriander or flat leaf parsley

Preparation:

After rinsing the meat and patting it dry with a paper towel, put the hare in a glass bowl with all of the marinade ingredients. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 days. Turn the meat over from time to time in the marinade so that all sides of the meat are infused with the flavors.

Preheat the oven to 350. Transfer the meat from the marinade bowl to a baking dish. Empty the marinade into a small pan and bring to a quick boil over high heat allowing the liquid to reduce to about ¾ cup. Pour the reduced marinade over the meat in the baking dish and add ¼ cup of the olive oil, the tomatoes, honey, pepper, paprika, coriander, onions, red wine and bay leaves. Cover and bake 20 minutes at 350. After the twenty minute period, reduce the oven temperature to 300 and bake for an additional 2½ hours. Then add the thyme, salt and remaining ¼ cup olive oil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

If at any time during this baking process, there is less than 2½ cups of liquid in the casserole, add water as necessary.

Move to a serving platter and sprinkle with the fresh coriander or flat leaf parsley, and serve hot.