Recipe: Wild Boar Civet

Name: Wild Boar Civet
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: For the marinade:; 2 l (2.1 qt) of Languedoc wine (or Côtes du Rhône or good Cahors); 20 cl (0.8 cup) of excellent aged red wine vinegar (or 10 cl (0.4 cup) for standard vinegar); 1 large onion and 2 sliced carrots; 3 sliced shallots; 2 cloves; 2 or 3 sage leaves; A pinch of thyme flowers; 3 bay leaves; 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed; 20 g (0.7 oz) of dried cep mushrooms (optional, but delicious); 12 g (0.4 oz) of coarse salt; 5 g (0.2 oz) of cracked pepper; 1 pinch of four spices; For the meat:; 1.8 kg (4 lb) of wild boar shoulder or haunch; 60 g (2.1 oz) of fatback or lard; 70 g (2.5 oz) of flour; 3 squares of dark chocolate; For serving:; 30 g (1.1 oz) of roasted pine nuts; 30 g (1.1 oz) of pink peppercorns (Madagascar if possible); 30 g (1.1 oz) of pistachios

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (151 reviews) · 🍳 140 made it

Prep 45 min

Cook 120 min

Total 2h45

Servings 8 serv.

Just a little reminder: first, the female wild boar is called a "sow". Until the age of six months, the wild boar is called a piglet, its coat is striped, and it is said to be "in livery". Then from 6 to 12 months, it becomes a "red beast" and its coat transforms into bristles. As it ages, its color becomes increasingly dark, it becomes a "solitary" or "hermit" and it can live like this sometimes for more than 30 years.

Ingredients for 8 servings

Adjust for

servings

For the marinade:

2 l (2.1 qt) of Languedoc wine (or Côtes du Rhône or good Cahors)
20 cl (0.8 cup) of excellent aged red wine vinegar (or 10 cl (0.4 cup) for standard vinegar)
1 large onion and 2 sliced carrots
3 sliced shallots
2 cloves
2 or 3 sage leaves
A pinch of thyme flowers
3 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
20 g (0.7 oz) of dried cep mushrooms (optional, but delicious)
12 g (0.4 oz) of coarse salt
5 g (0.2 oz) of cracked pepper
1 pinch of four spices

For the meat:

1.8 kg (4 lb) of wild boar shoulder or haunch
60 g (2.1 oz) of fatback or lard
70 g (2.5 oz) of flour
3 squares of dark chocolate

For serving:

30 g (1.1 oz) of roasted pine nuts
30 g (1.1 oz) of pink peppercorns (Madagascar if possible)
30 g (1.1 oz) of pistachios

Step-by-step directions

The day before:

1 Cut your wild boar shoulder or haunch into large chunks of 70 g (2.5 oz), aiming for three pieces per person.

2 Place them in a large container, pour all the marinade ingredients over them, season with 12 g (0.4 oz) of coarse salt and the cracked pepper, mix well, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day:

3 Drain the wild boar pieces and vegetables separately in a colander, and pour the marinade into a bowl.

4 In a casserole dish suitable for the oven, melt a little fatback or lard, add your marinated vegetables, and let them sweat gently covered for 10 minutes.

5 Preheat your oven to 200 °C (390°F) (gas mark 7).

6 While the oven heats up, heat a large skillet with fatback or lard. When the fat is almost smoking, add your wild boar pieces and brown them on all sides, then add them to your vegetables that should have sweated well. Dust with flour while mixing well (singer), let it cook briefly, then moisten with the marinade. Bring back to a boil and place in the covered oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. During cooking time, you will have time to prepare your garnish. Here are several options if you want to stay traditional: chestnut purée and cranberry jam (for the chestnut purée, add tiny raw celery pieces, which is excellent). You can also serve fresh tagliatelle bound with a little foie gras or a creamy cepe risotto, or even a pumpkin purée served in the shell, etc.

7 Your civet is now cooked. Using a skimmer and fork, remove the pieces one by one and place them on a serving dish. Separately, add the chocolate squares to the sauce, then blend for 30 seconds. Pass your sauce through a fine strainer while pressing well to extract all the flavors, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

8 Return the civet pieces to the strained sauce and bring to a boil, and you're done!

Serving: On a nice plate, arrange the three pieces of wild boar civet coated with sauce in the center, topped with your mixed nuts and berries (pine nuts, pistachios, and pink peppercorns) with a nice celery leaf in the middle. Serve the garnish and sauce separately. As always, keep any leftover sauce in the refrigerator.

Chef Patrick's Comment

Some in the eastern regions prepare this recipe with beer, do the same by replacing the red wine and not adding chocolate at the end. Personally, even if you want to prepare this recipe with cider, I really think the sauce will be too bland.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a different red wine instead of Languedoc wine?

Absolutely. A Cahors or Côtes du Rhône works just as well. Avoid overly light or oaky wines that distort the sauce. A decent regional wine at 8 euros is plenty for marinating.

How long can I keep civet in the fridge?

Three to four days easily. Pour it into an airtight container once cooled. You can also freeze it for two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating gently.

Why add dark chocolate at the end?

Chocolate thickens and enriches the sauce without sweetening it. Two to three squares are enough, just a subtle note. Blend well for thirty seconds so it dissolves completely and smooths the texture.