This is a simple dish with complex flavours, and a variety of textures, worth the time to make, writes Jason Moss, of Waitiri Creek Wines. If you are not interested in hare, replace it with another meat such as venison, beef or lamb.
Pan-seared Southland hare (served rare)
The hare marinade
4 hare fillets
4 Tbsp soybean oil
1 Tbsp pinot noir
sprig wild thyme
sprig rosemary
1 clove garlic
Trim all the silver skin from your fillet (or when cooking this will become tough). Chop thyme, rosemary and garlic until fine then add to the wine and oil. Place meat in oil and marinate until ready (can leave in 2-3 days).
Spring onion & parmesan polenta
250g polenta
1½ cups milk
1½ cups water
1 Tbsp vegetable or chicken powdered stock
½ tsp white pepper
50g butter
½ bunch spring onions, finely sliced
200g grated parmesan cheese
Heat milk, water, powdered stock, pepper and butter until it comes to the boil. Turn heat down, whisk in the polenta and cook until thickens. Remove from heat, stir in parmesan & spring onion. Pour then smooth out into a greased 10x15cm tray. Once cool, slice into four long even fingers. Refrigerate until required.
Baby carrot salad
100g baby carrots
100g baby rocket
100g feta cheese
Peel carrots, place in boiling water until tender, drain and place in cold water. Refrigerate until required.
Truffle and honey dressing
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp truffle oil
1 Tbsp white wine (we use chardonnay, but pinot gris or riesling would work)
2 Tbsp local honey (warm briefly in microwave until runny)
Place in jar and shake well. Allow to sit at least a day, so flavours can amalgamate.
Hazelnuts oil
½ cup flour
50g hazelnut meal (ground hazelnuts)
50g butter, melted
1 Tbsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
Mix ingredients together, bake in oven until golden. Allow to cool. Store in airtight container until required.
To assemble
Heat pan, sear hare fillet evenly until well browned, remove from the pan and leave on chopping board covered with tinfoil (rest your meat).
Place 4 polenta slices in pan, brown each side then place in warm oven.
Slice the meat thinly on an angle to get long thin pieces. Season very well with salt and pepper, also drizzle a little dressing over the meat to keep moist.
Place baby carrot, feta and a good handful of baby rocket in a large bowl. Season the salad with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle the honey-truffle dressing around the outer edge of the bowl (salads are best made fresh, so keep the salad and dressing separate in the bowl until ready to gently toss together).
Place polenta on plate, toss salad and place carefully on polenta. Arrange the hare slices in crisscross pattern along the top of the salad.
Sprinkle with hazelnut soil. Enjoy!
Waitiri Creek Wines
• Nestled in Gibbston (20 minutes east of Queenstown) is a 120-year-old church building that is the home of Waitiri Creek Wines. Simply translated, ''wai'' means water and ''tiri'' turbulent or noisy, the ancient name for the place references the mighty Kawarau River, which tumbles and narrows as it squeezes past the Nevis bluff.
The Waitiri Creek restaurant showcases regional fare with the likes of foraged wild herbs, mushrooms, venison, rabbit and hare.
• Jason Moss is winery manager at Waitiri Creek Wines. He has previously worked in Queenstown as an executive chef and managed the kitchen at Auckland's Sky City.
