A substantial, yet delicate dish – an old traditional recipe I have updated that was handed down to me from my mother, Rina, who in turn inherited it from her great-grandmother Angela. When still a girl in 1890, she learned the recipe while working for a noble family.

Ingredients: A hare, ⅔ cup vinegar, 1⅓ cup red wine, 1⅓ cup dry white wine, 2 celery stalks, 5 carrots, 2 onions, 5 sage leaves, 3 bay leaves, 2 chicory leaves, 4 garlic cloves, 15 whole pepper grains, a sprig of rosemary, 15 whole cloves, 1 T Moletto balsamic vinegar, Moletto Extra-virgin olive oil Integrale, salt.
To prepare: Cut the hare into pieces and tie with thread. Set aside the giblets. Marinate the hare for 12 hours in the vinegar, red wine, one celery stalk, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, rosemary sprig, sage, bay leaf, chicory and pepper grains and cover with water. After 12 hours, drain off and discard the marinade and place the hare in a pre-heated pan in order to draw out the excess marinade which should also be discarded.
In a flame-proof dish sauté 2 garlic cloves in extra-virgin olive oil, add the meat and brown. Dice and add the remaining 3 carrots and celery stalk, a whole onion stuck with the cloves, the dry white wine and the tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Finally, mince the giblets and add to the rest. Salt to taste. Braise over low heat for approx. 3 hours.
When the meat is tender, take it off the heat, add some extra-virgin olive oil and let rest for 12 hours before serving with polenta (made using white cornmeal).
Recommended wines:
Colmello Rosso Igt Veneto Orientale
Colmello Rosso Edizione Speciale 2000 Igt Veneto Orientale
Cabernet Sauvignon Selecti Igt Veneto Orientale
Merlot Barrique Doc Piave