Wild boar stew

Ingredients (serves 4):

700g wild boar meat cut into bitesize pieces
2 carrots
1 red onion
2 celery stalks
2 sprigs of rosemary
3 bay leaves
Salt
Pepper
Flour 00
Red wine
Juniper berries
Knob of butter

For the caramelised onions

2 red onions
100g sugar
4 tbsp water

***

Begin by marinating the meat: this should be done the day before preparing the dish. Put the meat in a bowl with a chopped carrot, a stalk of celery, a red onion cut in half, rosemary, bay leaves, salt, pepper and 2-3 juniper berries. Cover it all with red wine and leave to rest in the fridge sealed with cling film for 24 hours. After this time, drain the meat well and keep the marinade liquid aside, removing the vegetables.

Take some the remaining vegetables, (half a red onion, half a carrot and a stalk of celery) chop them up roughly and heat them in a pan with a tablespoon of oil and a knob of butter. Flour the boar chunks evenly and brown them on a high flame for 4-5 minutes, turning frequently.

Pour in a glass of red wine, and when the alcoholic aroma has evaporated, add the remaining liquid from the marinade. Reduce the heat to low and cook the wild boar stew for about 3 hours. Remember to stir the stew frequently and add stock or hot water if necessary.

After about 3 hours check that the salt and pepper seasoning of the stew is balanced and adjust if necessary. Finish cooking until the sauce has thickened sufficiently to serve as a condiment for the polenta prepared separately. Serve the stew hot, accompanied by polenta and the caramelised red onions.

To caramelise the onions: cut them into fairly large pieces and cook them with water and sugar over a low heat until the syrup has thickened and caramelised.

(Liana Marabini)