- 6
Ingredients
- 3 lb boneless shoulder of wild boar
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 large thyme sprigs
- 3 rosemary sprigs
- 1 fat celery stick, roughly chopped
- 1.5 cup gusty red wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon
- 8 cloves
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 12 black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp juniper berries, lightly crushed
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lb chorizo sausage cut into 1/4"-thick slices
- 2 tsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp plain flour
- 1/2 cup red vermouth
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 oz preserved chestnuts
- 1 tbsp butter
- 8 oz mixed wild mushrooms, including some chanterelles, cut in half
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- handful parsley, chopped, to garnish
Preparation
Step 1
Cut the wild boar into 2" chunks and put the pieces of meat into a large bowl. Add all the ingredients for the marinade, mix together well, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 24 hours, stirring it occasionally.
The next day, set a colander over another clean bowl and tip in the marinated meat. Drain well and reserve the wine collected in the bowl.
Separate the meat from the rest of the marinade ingredients and set aside. Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and fry the meat in batches until it is browned all over. Season as you go and add a little more oil if needed.
Return all the meat to the casserole dish with a little more oil if necessary. Add the chorizo or figatellu and fry for a minute or two until lightly golden. Add the remaining marinade ingredients reserved in the colander and fry until soft and richly browned.
Stir in the tomato purée and fry for another minute. Stir in the flour followed by the red vermouth, the reserved wine from the marinade, beef stock, porcini mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and ten turns of the black pepper mill. Bring to the boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave to simmer gently for 1-1½ hours.
Add the chestnuts to the casserole, replace the cover and cook for another 20-30 minutes or until the meat is very tender.
Shortly before the stew is ready, heat the butter in a large frying pan, add the wild mushrooms and some salt and freshly ground black pepper and fry briskly over a high heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir them into the casserole, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.