1. Slice the meat of f the legs of the hare and remove the tough tendons

2. Chop the meat into 1/ 2 inch pieces and set it aside

3. Remove the rind from the rashers and chop the bacon roughly

4. Peel and finely chop the garlic and finely slice the onion

5. Scrub and chop the celery

6. Trim and slice the mushrooms

7. Heat the lard in a large pan over moderate heat

8. Fry the bacon, garlic, onion and celery in the lard for about 5minutes or until the ingredients just take on colour

9. Add the hare meat and the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until lightly browned

10. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in enough flour to absorb all the fat

11. Return the pan to the heat and fry the mixture until brown, while constantly stirring

12. Add the wine and gradually blend in 3/ 4 pint of water to make a thick sauce

13. Season to taste with salt, pepper, thyme and marjoram

14. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer over low heat for 1hour

15. Add the grated lemon rind and sharpen with lemon juice

16. In the meantime, cook the rigatoni in a large pan of salted water for about 15minutes

17. Thoroughly drain the rigatoni in a colander

18. Arrange the rigatoni round the edge of a serving dish and spoon the hare sauce into the center

19. Sprinkle a little cheese over the sauce and serve the remainder in a separate bowl

List of ingredients required:

(serves 4 people)

4 fl oz red wine
4 hare legs
12 oz (350g) rigatoni
4 oz (115g) green streaky bacon
4 oz (115g) mushrooms
3 to 4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
2 to 3 dessert spoons flour
1 clove garlic
1 onion
1 stick celery
1 tablespoon lard
Rind and juice of half a lemon
Salt and black pepper
Powdered thyme and marjoram