Ingredients
For the Ragu..
- Skinned and butchered wild Hare
- Olive oil
- 1 cup of beef stock
- Cup and a half of Red wine (Mike uses a Sicilian red)
- 1 large cup of tomato passata
- One large red onion
- 3 sticks of celery
- 2 large bulb garlic
- 4 large carrots
- Damson Jelly
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Rosemary and Oregano bouquet garni
- Parsley and Basil to serve
For the Pappardelle..
- 300grams flour
- 2 whole eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- Rosemary
- Pinch of salt
- Semolina
Method
Skin and butcher your hare – you may be surprised how much meat is provided from one hare – this dish will provide around 8 portions.
With a pan of olive oil on the heat prepare a dredge of seasoned flour to lightly coat the meat portions in batches. This will add a surface of sugars and proteins as the meat crisps up and fries. Fry off until the surface of the meat is golden and caramelised then remove (this will take around 6 minutes each batch).
Prepare the sofrito for your ragu sauce;
Take the loose surface skin and roots off your garlic bulb then slice off the top to allow the sauce to penetrate. Peel, square off and then finely dice the carrot and the red onion. Place the garlic bulbs cut side down in the hot pan to colour. Take three sticks of celery and remove the roots and leaves then peel to remove the outer layer and finely dice then
add the diced carrot, celery and onion to the pan and stir to deglaze the pan.
In a pressure cooker place a good glug of olive oil then add the garlic bulbs and diced vegetables, pour in around a cup and a half of red wine, a splash of balsamic vinegar, a large cup full of tomato passata and 2 tablespoons of damson jelly. Finally add a cup of beef stock and your caramelised Hare. Create a bouquet garni of rosemary and oregano and place on top of your ragu before fitting the lid. Set the pressure cooker on a low heat and leave for an hour and a half.
Prepare the pappardelle;
Finely chop Rosemary – this needs to be chopped almost to a powder, as fine as you possibly can and you will need around a tablespoon. Add the rosemary to a large mixing bowl with 300 grams of flour and mix well to ensure even distribution throughout then add a pinch of salt. Turn the flour out onto a clean surface and make a well in the middle. Roughly beat your eggs and pour into the well. Using a fork start mixing the yolk into the flour then start to knead and work with your hands to a dough until it feels smooth and silky – this will take some time! Place the dough into a plastic bag and pop in the fridge for half an hour.
Check the ragu after an hour and a half (make sure you release the pressure from the pan before opening!) the aim is to have the meat falling off the bone. Remove the bouquet garni and set aside. Using tongs remove the meat and place onto a tray to cool slightly so you can go through the meat and remove any bones. Pour the remaining sauce through a sieve to make sure no bones are left making sure you push through any vegetable chunks remaining. Add a drop of balsamic vinegar, a small pinch of pepper and a large pinch of salt. Then place onto heat and reduce for around a minute. With gloved hands go through the cooled hare to remove any bone pieces then drop the meat straight into the ragu sauce.
Remove the pasta from the fridge and flour lightly before running through a pasta roller, adjusting the rollers each return until the pasta becomes longer and thinner. Then loosely roll and cut into pappardelle strip. In a bowl add some semolina and dip each strip, this will prevent the strips sticking together. Place the strips into boiling water for around 2 minutes to cook.
To serve – place a portion of the ragu in a hot pan with olive oil. Create a chiffonade of basil by rolling and then slicing into strips. Roughly chop the parsley and add to the pan. Add the cooked pasta to the pan along with a tablespoon of pasta water and stir through.
Plate with a garnish of chiffonade of basil and grated parmesan.