Pan-fried hare with pumpkin, bergamot jelly and cumin potatoes

Preheat a steam oven to 90°C

Begin by preparing the cumin potatoes. Place the diced potatoes in a vacuum bag with the vegetable stock and ground cumin. Seal in a chamber sealer, then cook in the steam oven for 50 minutes

Meanwhile, make the bergamot jelly. Mix together the water and agar agar in a small pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and pour into a flat tray or baking tin to create a thin layer, then set to one side and allow to cool

Once the jelly has cooled and set, slice it into cubes and add to a blender with the bergamot juice. Pulse together until the juice and jelly are fully incorporated and smooth, then transfer to a piping bag and reserve in the fridge until ready to serve

To make the pumpkin syrup, place the water, vinegar and sugar in a pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve fully and the mixture to thicken for a few minutes to create a syrup

Add in the grated pumpkin and continue to cook for 5–10 minutes, until the flavour of the pumpkin infuses the syrup. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean pan and place back on the heat, allowing the strained liquid to reduce for a few minutes until it reaches the consistency of runny honey. Remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to serve

For the tapenade, place the olives and stock in a blender and pulse to create a chunky consistency. Transfer to a dish or bowl and reserve until required

Remove the steamed potatoes from the vacuum bag, drain carefully and add to a frying pan with the clarified butter. Sauté for 5 minutes or until golden, then season generously with salt and keep warm

Season the hare loins well with salt and pepper. Place the clarified butter in a large frying pan and warm through over a medium heat. Add the spices and stir to coat in the butter, then add the seasoned loins

Allow the loins to colour on each side, basting in the flavoured butter as they cook. Once browned all over, remove the pan from the heat, cover with a lid and leave to continue cooking in the residual heat for 7–8 minutes

To serve, add swirls of the warm pumpkin syrup over each serving plate, along with a few dots of the bergamot jelly and olive tapenade. Slice the hare loins in half at an angle and stand in the centre, then drain the potatoes from the butter and scatter over the top. Garnish with a few pumpkin seeds and micro leaves, serving immediately