This wild boar is irresistible, and always a success at dinner parties, not to mention the fact that you can have any leftovers cold in sandwiches. There are a couple of instructions you must follow: marinate for 3 days,  stick to the high temperature cooking instructions and use a not-too-big tray so that the marinate does not evaporate completely.

Adapted from an epicurious recipe.

Serves 8-10

• 2,5-3kg boneless leg of wild boar
• 1/4 cup coarse sea salt
• 1/4 cup coarsely ground black pepper

For the marinade

• 4 cups red wine
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 50g fresh sprigs of thyme
• 2 Tbsp black peppercorns
• 6 cloves
• 1 carrot (about 60g), cut in 1cm chunks
• 1 onion (about 120g), cut in eighths
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

To roast the wild boar

• 20 cloves

For the sauce

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp thyme honey

Rub the wild boar with the salt and pepper, place it in a shallow dish, and refrigerate for 36 hours loosely covered.

To prepare the marinade add the wine , bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, cloves, carrot and onion in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain reserving the herbs and spices and discarding the carrots and onions. Add the red wine vinegar and let cool to room temperature.

Rinse most of the salt and pepper from the wild boar and pat dry with paper towels. Place the meat in a deep dish, pour the cooled marinade over it, refrigerate loosely covered and let marinate for 36 hours, turning it 4-5 times during that time.

Preheat the oven to 230ºC (fan)

Remove the wild boar from the marinade and pat dry it with paper towels. Strain the marinade discarding all the herbs and spices.

With a sharp thin knife , make about 20 small incisions into the flesh of the boar and insert a clove to each incision. Transfer the boar to a  baking dish, pour 1 cup of the marinade over it and roast in the middle shelf of the oven for about 2 hours. Check it every 20-25 minutes to be sure the marinade hasn’t completely evaporated, adding 1 cup at a time until all the marinade is used.

When cooked, remove the boar  from the baking dish and allow to rest in a warm place covered in foil for about 30 mins.

To prepare the sauce, transfer any juice and brown bits from the bottom of the baking dish to a saucepan. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce by about 1/4, then stir in the honey.Continue cooking and whisking for about 10 minutes, until you have a smooth sauce.

Serve the wild boar thinly sliced  with roast potatoes, a green salad and the sauce on the side.

roast potatoes