Wild Boar Stew (Tuscan Cinghiale in Dolceforte)

This traditional Tuscan wild boar stew recipe, with dark chocolate, is a perfect dish to serve on a winter's night. It is rich and bold with a slight sweet and tangy taste.

Wild Boar:
wild boar, hare or rabbit (1.5 kg)
good red wine (.5 L)
kosher or sea salt

Sauce:
½ medium onion
½ large carrot
2 ribs celery
prosciutto (30 g)
pinch parsley
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
water or beef stock, as needed

Dolce Fort:
raisins (40 g)
dark chocolate, grated (30 g)
pinenuts (30 g)
candied lemon and orange rind (20 g)
sugar (50 g)
1 small glass red wine vinegar

Divide the wild boar into 14 pieces. Wash them. Then marinate them overnight in about a half litre of red wine with a little salt.

Before cooking, squeeze the pieces and dry them. Then put them into a casserole dish without water: add salt, cover with a lid over a low heat for about 10 minutes so that the meat releases the water it has absorbed. Throw away the released liquid.

Chop the vegetables and the ham together with the parsley and brown them with about 6 Tbsp. of olive oil, some salt, pepper, and the pieces of wild boar.

When the meat has taken on some colour on all sides, drain off a good part of the fat, and sprinkle on a pinch of flour. Stir and cook adding hot water - or stock - a little at a time.

In the meantime, prepare the "dolceforte". In a glass put the raisins, the grated chocolate, the pinenuts, the candied peel, the sugar, and "enough" red wine vinegar. Just a little, because there is always time to add more later.

Add to the casserole dish with the wild boar and bring to the boil until incorporated. (Note: The sauce always tastes better if it is made the day before and re-heated.)

Serve piping hot with a side dish of seasonal vegetables and fresh bread.