Name: Hare Ragout with Red-Wine Risotto
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: hindquarters of a hare; 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 carrot 1 leek – optional; 1 onion or 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped; pepper; salt; 3 or 4 peeled plum tomatoes, i.e. half a 400 g (14 oz) can; 1 celery stalk, trimmed and finely sliced; about 1 litre (2 pints) vegetable, chicken or game stock seasoning; 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter – optional chunk of fresh Parmesan; 5 tablespoons good dry red wine, i.e. a good splash of it, and the same of milk; 1 onion; 1 celery stalk; a good pinch of nutmeg; 300 mls (½ pint) full-bodied red wine; 1 bay leaf; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; about 500 g (1 lb) risotto rice

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

Modern Classics

By Frances Bissell

Published 2000

About

For the following recipe, make the ragout first. The soffrito of vegetables is a base for many Italian sauces. I find it worth making double or triple the quantities given here, and storing it for later use. And indeed, I usually make at least double quantities of the meat sauce to use on another occasion. It is particularly good with pasta, and makes an excellent lasagne. Minced or chopped venison, beef, veal or pork can be made into rich meat sauces following the same method.