Rabbit (Hare)
Ingredients
1 hare or 2 rabbits, cut up
Marinade:
2 cups red wine
1 cup water
½ cup cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
½ teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
10 whole black peppercorns
½ cup all-purpose flour
6 slices bacon, cut up
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 cup chopped onion
1 to 3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup dairy sour cream
Instructions
In a large glass or ceramic mixing bowl, combine hare pieces and all marinade ingredients. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 or 3 days, turning hare pieces daily.
Lift hare pieces out of marinade. Pat dry with paper towels; set aside. Strain and reserve 1½ cups marinade, discarding herbs and excess marinade. Place flour on a sheet of waxed paper. Add hare pieces, turning to coat. In Dutch over, cook bacon over medium heat until almost crisp. Add mushrooms and onion. Cook until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetable mixture with slotted spoon; set aside. Add 1 tbsp butter to pan. Add hare pieces and brown on all sides, adding butter if necessary. Return vegetable mixture to Dutch oven. Add salt and reserved marinade. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover. Simmer until hare pieces are tender, 1 to 1¼ hours. With slotted spoon, transfer hare pieces to heated serving platter. Set aside and keep warm. Blend sour cream into cooking liquid. Cook over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally; do not boil. Serve sauce over hare.
