Recipe: Alpujarran Wild Boar Stew

This wild boar stew is rich and festive and was created when I was invited to watch a show that Rick Stein, the British television chef, was filming at a friends house in Andalucia. Unfortunately, the night before the shoot my friend got sick and asked if I could knock something up that he could then replicate on camera the next day. Fortunately it turned out rather well. Wild boar is very tough, so the longer you cook this, the better it will be.

• 400g wild boar, cut into 1 inch cubes

• 1 small glass Malága Sack wine (substitute red wine for a less sweet result)

• 2 Figueres onions, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tsp freshly ground cumin

• 1 tsp smoked pimentón

• 3 large strips orange peel

• Juice of half an orange

• 3 tbsp plump, Moscatel raisins

• 3 cubes bitter chocolate (85 percent cocoa is best)

• 4 tbsp peeled, chopped tomatoes (or canned)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss the meat in the wine and set aside. Sweat the onions and garlic in olive oil over a low heat until they are sweet and caramelised (for at least 20 minutes). Stir in the cumin and the pimentón and remove the onion mix from the pan. Next, drain the boar reserving the wine and brown it in the same pan that held the onions. When it is nicely coloured, return the onions to the pan, add the raisins, orange peel, and orange juice and stir in the reserved wine. Cook for 10 minutes. Then add the chocolate and tomatoes. Season and stir well to ensure the chocolate has melted. Leave to stew over a low heat for three to four hours (adding a splash of water now and then if it starts to dry out). Before serving check for seasoning, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve on a pile of aligot (garlicky mashed potatoes).