Saddle of Hare with chocolate sauce and turnips

Mashed turnips

1. Add the olive oil, shallots, turnips and sugar to a pan on a low moderate heat. Leave to cook down. Add the crushed juniper berries, crushed peppercorns and finely chopped rosemary to the pan. Once the turnips are soft take the turnip mixture out of the pan and set aside.

Hare

1. Cook the hare over a high heat for 3-4 minutes in the olive oil, tossing and turning the meat so it cooks evenly and is brown on all sides. Check the hare is cooked by touch; if it feels springy, then it is perfectly medium rare. If there is no bounce, return to the heat and cook for a couple minutes more. Remove the hare from the pan and leave to rest with the turnip mixture for 5 minutes.

Chocolate sauce

1. In the same pan add the red wine and reduce until syrupy, add the chicken stock and reduce to a sauce consistency. Whisk in the grated chocolate until it melts but do not boil as the chocolate will ‘split’. Taste and season if necessary, add the vinegar and allow to simmer gently. Set aside. Add the hare and turnip mixture back to the pan. After a minute add in the chopped parsley and then serve.