Lepre in Salmì alla Marchigiana

Ingredients

• 1 (approx. 1.8–2 kg) Hare, jointed into 8 pieces; blood reserved if available
• For the salmì marinade
• 750 ml Red wine, full-bodied; Rosso Piceno or equivalent
• 8 Juniper berries, lightly crushed
• 2 Bay leaves
• 4 Cloves
• 1 Carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 Celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 1 White onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp Black peppercorns, whole
• For the braise
• 80 g Lard, mountain lard; cut into small pieces
• 1 Carrot, finely diced — fresh, not the marinade vegetables
• 1 Celery stalk, finely diced — fresh, not the marinade vegetables
• 1 White onion, finely diced — fresh, not the marinade vegetables
• 150 g Ascolane tenere black olives, whole, unpitted; or mild Marchigiana black olives
• 5 g Dark chocolate, 70% cocoa; broken into small pieces
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• To serve
• 400 g Fresh egg tagliatelle, made with soft wheat; or prepared polenta

Method

1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.