Wild Boar and Alexander Stew

The festive season is officially over and this is usually the time of year things get bleak for a few months. The best way to over come this is booking a summer holiday months in advance and cooking comfort food.

Wild boar is basically a wild pig more gamey in flavour and quite fatty which makes it good for slow cooking. This is quite a simple stew and doesn’t require loads of over powering spices or herbs.

I’ve also used Alexanders which was introduced to the UK during the Roman occupation, and by today's standards would have been considered the celery of its time. Alexanders are sweet and fragrant, similar to cumin. Best foraged however I’m sure you can buy some on line from a few boutique fruit and vegetable sites.

800g wild boar

2 carrots

4 sticks celery

3 white onions

400g alexanders

4 plum tomatoes

3 cloves garlic

2 fresh bay leaves

50g butter

250ml red wine

Sprig thyme

1 dried red chilli

2 tablespoons plain flour

Sea salt to season

METHOD:

Dice the boar into 2cm pieces. Peel and slice carrots, slice celery, peel and slice onions, wash and slice alexanders into 5cm length pieces, quarter tomatoes and finely slice garlic. 

Melt half the butter in a large pot over high-heat, add the boar and a good pinch of salt. Cook until the meat starts to brown, then stir in the flour. When the meat has been coated in flour pour out into a bowl and place to one side. 

Add the remainder of the butter to the same pot and melt over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic, stir and cook until the onion softens and begins to lightly brown then add the carrots and alexanders. Once the carrots are hot and starting to steam add the boar, bay leaves, red wine, thyme and torn chilli. Pour in 250ml of water and season with extra salt. Once the liquid comes to a simmer turn the head down to low and cover. Cook for 2 and half hours giving the stew a little stir every half hour.  Once stew is cooked serve with either crusty bread or roasted potatoes.