Wild boar stew

“Tuscan chef Antonella Secciani, who showed us this recipe, cooks stews long and slow, adjusting the heat so the stew just quivers on the surface,” says Katie. “When she was growing up she lived in a village and there was a mattatoio (a rudimentary butcher), where the wild boar were brought to be cleaned, cut and distributed after a hunt. The best bit went to the person who shot it. It took around 20 men to kill one, maybe due to the grappa served frequently throughout the day.” Start this recipe a day ahead to marinate the meat.

4 garlic cloves

1 cup (firmly packed) rosemary

180 ml extra-virgin olive oil 500 ml (2 cups) red wine

120 gm tomato paste

1½ litres (6 cups) beef broth, vegetable stock, or boiling water

Soft polenta or mashed potato, to serve

MARINATED WILD BOAR

1 onion, coarsely chopped 1 long rosemary sprig

1 carrot, coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp whole black peppercorns 1 tsp juniper berries

750 ml (3 cups) red wine

1.6 kg wild boar stewing steak, cut into 3cm cubes (see note)

1 For marinated wild boar, combine ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove meat from marinade and discard everything else.

2 Process garlic, rosemary, oil, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper in a food processor to a coarse paste; this is called a battuto. Add battuto to a heavy-based saucepan over low heat, then add boar and stir to combine. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated (30-40 minutes), then add wine, bring to the boil and cook until the scent of wine has disappeared (10 minutes). Dissolve tomato paste in the stock or water and add to pan. Cover and cook until meat is very tender, adding a little more stock or water if it looks dry; remove lid for the last hour of cooking to concentrate the sauce (2½-3 hours).

Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with soft polenta or mashed potato.

Note Wild boar is available from the following suppliers: in Victoria, Yarra Valley Game Meats (gamemeats.com.au), in Adelaide, Something Wild (somethingwild.com.au), in Sydney, (samthebutcher.com.au), in Brisbane, Gold Coast Organic Meats (goldcoastmeats.com). If it’s unavailable, use braising venison or pork instead.