Wild Boar Stew

By Thom Ntinas

The forested wild mountains near my hometown are full of wild boar which have been hunted since the times of Alexander the Great and Philip II of Macedon. So today’s dish feels celebratory and one for special occasions. Full of spices from the East, which Alexander and his Macedonia soldiers brought back to Greece together with many other ingredients, exotic birds, fruits and vegetables. 

This wild boar stew recipe makes enough for four people, with a little leftover for hungry stomachs. The first thing is to wash the boar meat well, and then marinate it overnight. 

Image: Thom Ntinas

Ingredients

• 1kg of wild boar from leg or shoulder diced

• 1 very large onion sliced into rings

• 4 cloves of garlic grated

• 1 large cinnamon stick

• 2 tablespoons of honey

• 2 shot glasses (50ml) of red wine vinegar

• Around 10 cloves

• A bit of grated nutmeg

• The zest of one large orange

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 shot glass of olive oil

• 10 corns of allspice

• 1 glass of sweet wine such as mavrodaphne (I made some defrutum aka dried fruits steeped in wine and then crushed and mashed)

• 6 juicy, sweet apples

Method

1. Marinate the meat in all the above overnight except the apples. The next day heat a heavy bottomed pan or a large, ovenproof casserole dish then add some olive oil to sautée the onions from the marinade first. Once they get a nice colour, remove them; brown the meat in the oil nicely on all sides. Stir the onions back in then add the sweet wine and the marinade. Sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt, and lots of black pepper. Cover with a lid, and cook, for about an hour. If it is needed we add some water so the meat is always submerged in liquid.

2. While the meat is cooking, core the apples leaving them whole (there is no need to peel them). Fry the apples in some goat butter until they get a nice colour on all sides. (after all Aigai the Macedonian capital translated means goat city)

3. After the wild boar has been cooking for an hour, add the apples to the casserole with the butter they were fried in. Cover and place in the oven, preheated to 200℃, for 25 minutes. Remove the lid then give it another ten minutes in the oven to give the dish a nice colour.

4. Serve with potato mash and a glass of red wine! Xinomavro from Naoussa is a good call as it’s local to my region. This is a dish fit for legendary kings! Kali Orexi!