Winter Meal

It's the wild boar and polenta time of year

When we hear the hunters in the woods we know that sooner or later a couple of them will turn up, all smiles, with a bag of wild boar meat for us. 
It is a way of thanking us for letting them wander around our hill, even though historically and legally they have every right to do so.

The meat has to be soaked in wine, vinegar or water or a mixture of the three for several days, changing the liquid daily, to get rid of the gamey taste and smell.Then we put it in a pot with a bottle of Chianti, chopped onion and garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, rosemary and our own juniper berries. It cooks for hours until tender and is delicious with polenta or mashed potatoes. Hearty and very tasty on a cold winter's day.

wild boar stew with polenta