Mediterranean wild boar goulash

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1.2 kg wild boar meat from the shoulder or leg, boneless
• 100 g bacon, diced or sliced
• 500 g onion(s)
• Salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• 100 ml sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp paprika powder, hot
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs rosemary, fresh
• 12 sprigs of thyme, fresh
• 1 bottle of red wine, dry, approx. 0.75 L
• 1 cup of crème fraîche, approx. 200 – 250 ml
• 1 cup of whipped cream, approx. 200 – 250 ml

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 50 minutes

We buy our game directly from the hunter and then bone it ourselves, but you can of course also use fresh or frozen wild boar from the butcher. Peel the onions and slice or dice them. Cut the meat into 4 to 5 cm cubes, season well with salt and pepper. Heat the sunflower oil, then sauté the onions until golden brown. Add the meat and fry until well browned. Finally, add the bacon and fry briefly. Deglaze with the red wine and top up the pan. Braise in the oven at 180 °C for about 90 minutes (or on the stovetop). While the wild boar is braising, peel and finely chop the garlic cloves, and add them along with the paprika, rosemary, and thyme. Before the end of the braise, add the crème fraîche and heavy cream and stir to combine. Thicken the sauce if desired and season with salt and pepper. Dumplings or spaetzle would be ideal with this, but pasta and rosemary potatoes are also possible. I would pair it with a full-bodied, dry red wine, such as a Chianti Classico Reserva, a Barolo, Barbaresco, or a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois from the Médoc. A champagne would be ideal, but never a bad choice. It should be a full-bodied champagne, such as a vintage champagne, a classic cuvée, not a Blanc de Blancs. Or a rosé champagne, if possible a Rosé de Saignee made from 100% Pinot Noir.