Calderdale Rabbit Shepherd’s Pie with young carrots & peas from The Shibden Mill Inn

Main courseServes 4

Start by melting the butter in a heavy based pan or casserole dish, add the rapeseed oil then add the 4 legs and brown. After 2/3 minutes of sautéing the legs, set aside leaving the pan on the heat, add the diced vegetables & garlic and colour. After another 2/3 minutes place the legs back into the pan and add the vinegar, reduce by half then add the wine and reduce that by half. Then add all the chicken stock and tomatoes, thyme, garlic & bay leaf, bring to the boil then simmer of 2 hours till the leg meat is cooked and falls of the bone. Preheat the oven on gas mark 4 about 175ºC. Lift the rabbit out the pan being careful to keep the leg meat whole and set aside. Now reduce the sauce left in the pan with the vegetables and herbs. Pass the sauce off after 5 minutes or so. Keeping the vegetables, pull the meat off the bones, careful to get all the bone out of the meat and place into a clean casserole dish along with the vegetables. Cover with the strained sauce and place in the fridge for 1 hour until the sauce sets, making it easier to cover with mash. Add the peas and chopped herbs and cover with mash potato using the back of a knife. Brush with a little butter & bake for 40 minutes until a golden colour on top.

HERB CRUSTED LOCAL HARE, PIE, SAUSAGE AND MASH from the Cleveland Tontine

Serves 4

*Herb Bread Crumbs* – Place all ingredients in a blender until fine *Loin of Hare* – Preheat the oven to 180 degrees – Lay out a large piece of cling film and lay the pancetta slices overlapping on top – Place the 2 pieces of each loin on the pancetta with the narrow ends facing to the middle – Roll the loins into a cylinder and secure the ends – Slice the wrapped loin into 4 pieces and, leaving the cling film on, pan fry in a hot pan with a knob of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil until sealed and golden brown. – Place in the oven for 4 mins – Remove from oven and allow to rest for 8 mins – Sprinkle the crumb on the flat side of the loin *Hare Sausage* – Place the raw hare leg and the bacon in a food processor and blend – Add all the other ingredients and mix well – Place the mix in a piping bag and cut off the end – Push the end of the sausage skin over the end of the bag and then pipe the mix into the skin – Twist the sausage every 4cm to make small sausages – Chill for 1 hour and then cut into individual sausages – Grill until golden brown *Braised Hare Leg* – Fry the hare legs in butter until golden brown – Fry all the vegetables until golden brown – Put the hare legs and vegetables together in the same pan, add the wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half – Add the gravy and the water – Simmer for 2 hours or until the leg meat comes off the bone with ease – Strain the liquid from the pan and reduce to a sauce consistency – Pick the meat off the legs and add to the sauce – Place in the pasty case and top with mashed potato Place the loin, sausage and pie together on a plate and drizzle with any remaining sauce. Serve with honey roasted turnips.