Marcassin a l’Ardennaise

serves 6-8

1 leg of wild boar (about 5 lb / 2 ½ kg)           
1 ¾ pints (1 litre) cooked marinade           
5 tablespoons oil           
3 ½ lb (1 ½ kg) celeriac diced (or a mixture of root vegetables carrots, parsnip, turnip, celeriac, all diced)
1 tablespoon flour           
1 ¼ (750ml) stock (game or beef)           
3 oz (75g) butter
8 oz (225g) bacon, finely chopped
1 lemon
Salt and pepper

Cook the marinade and allow to cool.

Marinate the leg of boar for 2-3 days, turning every so often. Drain and dry the meat, and strain the vegetables from the marinade, reserving the liquid. Melt 2 ½ tablespoons of oil and 3 oz (50g) butter in a heavy-bottomed pan and toss the marinade vegetables in the fats till soft. Add the flour and stir into the vegetables until it turns golden. Add the marinade liquid and seasoning, then bring to the boil and simmer for 1-1 ¼ hours until reduced by half. Take off the heat and put to one side.

Meanwhile brush the joint with the remaining oil and place in a very large roasting pan. Roast in a preheated oven (2200C/3750F/gas 7) for 20-25 minutes. Peel the celeriac, dice and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent discolouring. Remove the meat from the dish and pour off any fat. Add just over half the remaining butter, celeriac, bacon, pepper and a pinch of salt.

Lower the oven to 1800C/3500F/gas 4 and cook for another 30-40 minutes. Strain and taste the sauce, whisking in the rest of the butter (pre-chilled and diced). Arrange the vegetables on a serving dish, and place the joint on top. Add any more pan juices to the sauce and serve separately in a sauceboat.

Basic Marinade for Game

Options  
Orange juice           
Brandy
Lemon juice   
Pernod, cassis, ginger wine or other spirits such as gin

Spices
Cloves
Black peppercorns
Baies rose (pink) peppercorns
Juniper berries
Any fresh herbs - parsley, thyme, regano, rosemary, etc.
Orange zest
Lemon zest
Coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.

Liquids        
2-3 tablespoons oil           
3-4 glasses wine (red or white)           
½ - 1 glass vinegar  

Vegetables
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 or more cloves of garlic, according to taste


1. Never use a metal container for marinating - always use glass or crockery. You only need enough marinade to cover the meat, as long as you make sure that it is turned often. A marinade can be either cooked, or ‘neat’. If it is cooked and poured straight off the heat onto the meat it will sink into the flesh more quickly than an uncooked marinade, and will work more quickly. A ‘neat’ marinade can be left to work longer and more gently into the meat, as long as the temperature doesn’t get too hot. If you are at all worried, you can always cook it up, let it cool off again and replace the meat. Sometimes you can add saltpetre (i.e. nitrate of potash) for pickling, which you can leave for 10 days or so.

2. To use a cooked marinade, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for about half an hour. Pour over the game either hot or cold. For ‘neat’ marinade combine all the ingredients in a bowl and immerse the meat in the mixture, turning till it is completely coated. When you come to cook the meat, remove it from the marinade with a slotted spoon, drain the marinade off and wipe off any clinging herbs or spices with kitchen paper. Strain the marinade and combine with stock to reduce to a rich sauce.