Civet de Sanglier Corse

Ingredients

• 2 kg wild boar shoulder, cut into 5 cm cubes
• For the marinade
• 750 ml Corsican red wine, Patrimonio or Ajaccio (Nielluccio or Sciaccarellu); one full bottle
• 1 large mirepoix, onion, carrot, celery in rough dice
• 1 generous branch fresh myrtle (mirte), or dried myrtle as substitute
• 6 juniper berries, lightly crushed
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, whole
• 1 strip dried orange zest
• For the braise
• 4 tbsp olive oil, for browning
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• For the civet finish
• 200 ml boar's blood, mixed with a splash of red wine vinegar to prevent coagulation
• For the civet finish (alternative)
• 20 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa; if blood is unavailable
• To serve
• 400 g pulenda (chestnut polenta), or thick chestnut-flour pasta, prepared separately

Method

1. 1
   Place the cubed boar shoulder in a deep non-reactive vessel. Add the mirepoix, myrtle branch, crushed juniper berries, bay leaves, crushed garlic, peppercorns, and dried orange zest. Pour over the full bottle of Corsican red wine. Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours — 48 hours is preferred, as the dense boar meat requires time for the wine to penetrate fully. The marinade is ready when the meat has darkened uniformly and carries the scent of myrtle and juniper throughout.
2. 2
   Drain the meat and vegetables separately, reserving all the wine marinade. Pat the boar cubes thoroughly dry. Heat the olive oil in a heavy braising vessel over high heat and brown the boar in batches, turning to colour all surfaces. Do not crowd the pan. The meat is ready when each cube carries a deep mahogany crust with no grey patches remaining.
3. 3
   Remove the browned meat and set aside. In the same vessel, reduce the heat to medium and sauté the strained marinade vegetables until softened. Add the tablespoon of tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens slightly. Deglaze with the reserved wine marinade, scraping up all sediment. Return the browned boar to the vessel. The liquid should nearly cover the meat.
4. 4
   Cover and braise at 150°C for 3 to 4 hours. Check at three hours: the boar must yield without resistance to the pressure of a fork and the braising liquid must have reduced to a dark, syrupy consistency. If the meat still holds firm, continue braising and test at 30-minute intervals. This extended reduction of collagen in the shoulder is the structural foundation of the dish.
5. 5
   This is where the dish lives or dies. Remove the vessel entirely from the heat and allow the liquid to cease all movement. With the blood already combined with a splash of vinegar to arrest coagulation, pour it in a slow, steady stream into the braising liquid, stirring constantly. The sauce will darken to an almost black colour and take on a velvety, coating consistency. Do not return the vessel to a boil — blood curdles above 80°C and the sauce will break irreparably. Warm gently over the lowest possible heat, stirring, until the sauce just approaches a simmer. Taste for seasoning.
6. 6
   Serve immediately with pulenda (chestnut polenta) or thick chestnut-flour pasta. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon in a deep, near-black film. If prepared the day before, reheat gently below a simmer — the flavours deepen overnight.