Traditional Wild Boar Stew

Meat that falls apart with a fork, coated in a dark, velvety, and glossy sauce. The scent of reduced wine mingles with the woody notes of thyme and laurel.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 180 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 756
• Protein: 62 g
• Carbs: 14 g
• Fat: 34 g

Ingredients

• 1000 g Wild boar meat ( cut into large cubes )
• 0.7 L Red wine ( full-bodied )
• 133.3 g Smoked lardons
• 1.3 piece Yellow onion ( sliced )
• 2 piece Carrot ( sliced )
• 2 piece Garlic ( crushed )
• 2 tbsp Wheat flour
• 33.3 g Minimum butter sweet ( cold )
• 13.3 g Dark chocolate ( chopped )
• 0.7 piece Bouquet garni
• 1.3 piece Clove
• 0.7 pinch Gray sea salt
• 0.7 tsp Black peppercorns
• 33.3 ml Cognac ( for flambéing )

Instructions

1. Marinade

   Cut the wild boar into large 4cm cubes. In a large container, submerge the meat with the red wine, diced onions and carrots, crushed garlic, bouquet garni, and cloves. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

2. Sear and flambé

   Drain and pat the meat dry. In a cast-iron pot, brown the smoked bacon bits. Remove the bacon, then brown the wild boar pieces on all sides in the hot fat. Pour in the cognac and flambé immediately off the heat to add aromatic power.

3. Dust and deglaze

   Sprinkle the flour over the meat. Stir for 2 minutes to cook the flour without burning it. Gradually pour in the filtered marinade while scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen all the cooking juices.

4. Simmer

   Return the bacon and marinade vegetables to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to minimum. Cover and simmer gently for 3 hours. The sauce should reduce and thicken to coat the back of a spoon.

5. Final liaison

   At the end of cooking, stir in the dark chocolate and cold butter pieces. Mix gently: the chocolate will provide depth of color and intense shine to the sauce.

Chef's tips

• Don't skip the dark chocolate; it's an old chef's secret for a dark, glossy sauce without using blood.
• Pat your meat dry before searing: if it's wet, it will boil instead of browning.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator. It's even better reheated the next day over very low heat.