Hare Pastry (Superior)

Ingredients

• 1 whole hare (liebre), boned
• pork loin (lomo de cerdo), finely chopped
• chicken breast (pechuga de gallina), finely chopped
• jamón (cured ham), finely chopped
• tocino (salt pork / bacon), finely chopped
• hare livers (higadillos de la liebre), finely chopped
• onion (cebolla), finely chopped
• parsley (perejil), finely chopped
• salt
• spices (especias)
• truffles (trufas), small pieces
• manteca de cerdo (pork lard)
• 0.5 liter white wine
• 0.5 liter caldo (broth)
• onion, for braising
• parsley, for braising
• carrots (zanahorias)
• bay leaf (laurel)
• thyme (tomillo)
• black pepper (pimienta)
• whole clove (clavo)
• 1 head garlic (ajo)

Instructions

1. Carefully bone the hare, keeping the meat intact. Prepare a forcemeat (picadillo) by finely chopping together the pork loin, chicken breast, jamón, tocino, hare livers, onion, parsley, salt, spices, and small pieces of truffles. Stuff the hare generously with this mixture and sew it closed, taking care to give it a good shape.
2. Wrap the stuffed hare in thin slices of tocino (salt pork). Place it in a heavy cooking vessel (cacerola) with pork lard (manteca de cerdo). Cover well and set in a hot oven for about one hour.
3. Remove from the oven and add half a liter of white wine and half a liter of caldo (broth). Add onion, parsley, carrots, bay leaf, thyme, black pepper, whole clove, a head of garlic, and salt. Return to the oven and braise until the sauce reduces to a glaze.
4. Remove the hare and place it on a flat serving platter. Strain the sauce over the hare and return briefly to the oven. Serve garnished.