P
Italian · Marche
Lepre in Salmì alla Marchigiana
Hare braised in a long salmì (salt brine and wine marinade then braise) from Marche — a classic game preparation that requires marinating the jointed hare for 24–48 hours in red wine, juniper, herbs, and vegetables before braising in the same marinade with added lard and olives. The 'salmì' is distinguished from a simple braise by the intensity of the marinade treatment: the hare absorbs the wine's tannic structure and the juniper's resin note deeply before cooking. Served with Marchigiana tagliatelle or polenta.
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
1 (approx. 1.8–2 kg)
Hare
jointed into 8 pieces; blood reserved if available
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the salmì marinade
750 ml
Red wine
full-bodied; Rosso Piceno or equivalent
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
8
Juniper berries
lightly crushed
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2
Bay leaves
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
4
Cloves
Your own market
1
Carrot
roughly chopped
Your own market
1
Celery stalk
roughly chopped
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
White onion
roughly chopped
Your own market
1 tsp
Black peppercorns
whole
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the braise
80 g
Lard
mountain lard; cut into small pieces
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
Carrot
finely diced — fresh, not the marinade vegetables
Your own market
1
Celery stalk
finely diced — fresh, not the marinade vegetables
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
White onion
finely diced — fresh, not the marinade vegetables
Your own market
150 g
Ascolane tenere black olives
whole, unpitted; or mild Marchigiana black olives
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
5 g
Dark chocolate
70% cocoa; broken into small pieces
Your own market
1 tsp
Fine sea salt
Your own market
To serve
400 g
Fresh egg tagliatelle
made with soft wheat; or prepared polenta
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II
The Method
1
Place the 8 hare pieces in a deep non-reactive bowl. Combine the red wine, juniper berries, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and the marinade carrot, celery, and onion. Pour over the hare, ensuring all pieces are submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 24–48 hours — 24 hours is the minimum; 48 hours produces a result in which the wine's tannic structure and the juniper's resin note have penetrated to the bone. The interior should carry the marinade's colour when a thick piece is probed.
2
Lift each piece from the marinade. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve, discarding all marinade vegetables — they have surrendered their flavour and will turn bitter in the braise. Pat each hare piece thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. The surface must be dry to the touch; any residual marinade will cause steaming and prevent the crust from forming.
3
Melt the lard in a wide, heavy-based casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the hare pieces in batches, without crowding, until a deep mahogany crust forms on each side — this is where the dish lives or dies: a crust achieved only in lard, never in olive oil, gives the sauce its Marchigiana depth; a pale or steamed surface cannot be recovered. Each piece should release cleanly from the pan when the crust is set.
4
Remove the browned hare. In the same fat, sweat the fresh diced carrot, celery, and onion over medium heat until soft and translucent — approximately 8 minutes. These fresh vegetables form the braising base; they must not colour.
5
Return the hare to the casserole. Pour over the strained marinade liquid. Bring to a bare simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain 90 °C — a slow, almost imperceptible bubble at the surface. Cover tightly and braise for 90–120 minutes. The hare is done when the meat yields to gentle pressure and begins to pull from the bone without forcing; a fork should meet no resistance in the thickest part of the haunch.
6
Twenty minutes before the end of the braising time, add the Ascolane tenere olives to the casserole. Adding them earlier renders them bitter and mushy; at this point they warm through and impart their mild, fruity note without losing their texture. Taste the sauce — it should be dark, savoury, and deeply winey.
7
Remove the casserole from the heat. Stir in the dark chocolate pieces until fully dissolved into the sauce — the sauce deepens in colour and a subtle bitterness balances the wine. If hare blood is available, stir it in off the heat at this same moment; it will thicken and enrich the sauce without cooking. The finished sauce should coat a spoon in a dark, glossy film.
8
Serve immediately over freshly cooked egg tagliatelle, or alongside polenta in the mountain tradition. The sauce should pool around but not drown the pasta — it is dense and must not be thinned.
From the canon — Polenta is the principal cooked grain preparation of northern Italy — from the Veneto through Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Polenta — The Correct Technique and Regional Variations →
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Wild mountain hare from Pesaro-Urbino or Macerata, hung whole for 3–5 days; blood reserved from the butcher; Ascolane tenere olives sourced from Ascoli Piceno; artisan mountain lard from the same region; a structured Rosso Piceno Superiore for the marinade.
02
Estate — Wild or free-range farmed hare from a reputable game supplier; good-quality Marchigiana or Umbrian black olives; rendered artisan lard; a reliable central-Italian red wine with sufficient tannin and body.
03
Market — Farmed hare available from a specialist butcher; mild black olives (not Kalamata); good commercial lard; any structured dry red wine suitable for long braising.
04
House — Farmed rabbit may substitute hare in an emergency — the salmì treatment remains valid, though the depth of flavour is substantially reduced; reduce marinating time to 12–24 hours and braising time to 60–75 minutes.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. After 24–48 hours, a thick piece probed at its centre shows the marinade's colour throughout — the flesh is no longer pale at the bone.
◇Touch. Dry hare surface releases cleanly from fingertip pressure — no moisture transfer to the hand before browning.
◇Sight. A deep mahogany, dry crust covers each surface of the hare piece; the meat releases from the pan without forcing.
◇Touch. After 90–120 minutes braising, a fork meets no resistance in the thickest part of the haunch and the meat begins to pull from the bone.
◇Sight. The finished sauce coats a spoon in a dark, glossy film — neither watery nor gelled.
◇Where it lives or dies. The dish lives or dies in the browning: each piece of hare must form a deep mahogany crust in hot lard before any liquid enters the pan — a pale or steamed surface cannot be recovered in the braise.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Wine
From British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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