Valle d'Aosta, northwestern Italy
Chamois (camoscio) from the Gran Paradiso massif hung for four to five days, butchered, then marinated for 48 hours in Valle d'Aosta red wine (Donnas or Torrette), juniper berries, bay, rosemary, thyme, black pepper and sliced vegetables. The marinated pieces are drained, dried, then browned in lard in a heavy casserole. The strained marinade is reduced by half and added back to the pan with the browned meat; the salmì braises covered for two to three hours over very low heat. The cooking juices are enriched with bitter chocolate (a classical alpine technique) and adjusted with salt. Served over polenta concia — polenta enriched with Fontina and butter — absorbing the dark, complex braising sauce.
Deeply gamey, funky and complex from the hung meat; juniper and rosemary provide resinous alpine backbone; wine tannins softened by the long braise; polenta concia provides fatty, milky contrast.
{"Hang the chamois for minimum 4 days in a cool space — freshly killed game lacks flavour complexity and the fibres are too tight","The 48-hour wine marinade tenderises the sinew-rich meat and moderates gaminess while imparting aromatic complexity","Brown the drained, thoroughly dried pieces in very hot lard before braising — moisture on the surface prevents Maillard reaction","Reduce the strained marinade separately before adding to the braise — this concentrates flavour and removes raw alcohol","The bitter chocolate addition (5–10g per kilo of meat) is classical mountain cooking: it deepens colour and rounds tannins without tasting of chocolate"}
{"Reserve the game liver to purée and stir into the sauce in the final 10 minutes — this classic enrichment adds viscosity and depth","Polenta concia should be made separately and kept warm in its pot; serve it very soft, almost pourable, rather than set","A sprig of fresh rosemary added in the last 20 minutes of braising restores the aromatic lift lost during the long cook"}
{"Skipping the hanging period, producing tough, flavourless meat","Adding the marinade unreduced: raw wine aroma dominates and the sauce remains thin","Adding too much chocolate, overwhelming the game flavour","Braising over high heat, which tightens the muscle fibres rather than relaxing them"}
Caccia e Cucina in Valle d'Aosta: Selvaggina, Erbe e Tradizioni Alpine