Terni and Valnerina, Umbria
Game stew in the Terni tradition: wild boar, hare, or deer shoulder slowly braised in Sagrantino passito (the tannic, oxidative Umbrian passito wine), with juniper berries, dried porcini, wild rosemary, and a soffritto of lard-rendered guanciale. The wine's tannin and residual sugar create a sauce of unique depth — savoury, sweet, and faintly bitter simultaneously. Served on white polenta concia (enriched with butter and pecorino).
Deep, resinous, tannic game stew rounded by the caramel notes of Sagrantino passito — Umbrian mountain cooking at its most sophisticated
{"Game must be marinaded 12 hours in Sagrantino, juniper, bay, and rosemary to tenderise and remove excess gaminess","Brown in batches over very high heat — crowding steams instead of searing","Dried porcini soaked in warm water; soaking liquid strained and added to braise for additional umami","Low, slow braise: 2.5–3 hours at 140°C; meat should yield to a spoon but not fall apart","Sagrantino added in two stages — half at the start, half in the last 30 minutes to retain fruit character"}
{"Finish with a handful of black Apecchio truffle shavings if available — the wine and truffle have great affinity","The stew improves dramatically the next day as collagen from the bones sets the sauce slightly","Grappa rinse of the braising pot at the end ('resentin') is a local custom that adds a final depth"}
{"Skipping the marinade — game without acid pre-treatment often has an unpleasant ammonia edge","Using young Sagrantino table wine instead of passito — lacks the oxidative depth needed","Polenta too thin — it must hold the stew's weight without collapsing"}
La Cucina Umbra — Fernanda Gosetti