Ragout of WILD BOAR a la Sicillienne

2½ lb wild boar           
3 tbsp. tomato purée
Marinade (made with equal quantities of red wine and vinegar)          
1 small hot red pepper
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil           
½ tsp. caster sugar
3 onions           
2 tbsp. oil
1 head of garlic           
Green olives
4-5 tomatoes, skinned and chopped            
Celery stalks, shredded
1 bouquet garni with orange peel           
2 basil leaves
2½ glasses water           
2 tbsp. capers

1. Cut the meat in pieces and marinate it for 48 hours. Drain and dry the meat before cooking.

2. Sauté the chopped onions in hot oil for ¼ hour, without letting them colour. Remove the outer skin from the garlic without peeling the cloves. Add it, together with the tomatoes, bouquet garni, water, purée, red pepper, caster sugar, salt and pepper to the onions. Simmer gently with the lid off for about one hour. When the sauce is thick, remove the garlic, pepper and bouquet garni.

3. Heat the oil and brown the pieces of meat. Add a good glass of strained marinade and reduce it to half.

4. Stone the olives, plunge them in boiling water for 2 minutes then drain. Place these, together with the celery and the sauce (above) into the pan with the meat and simmer for 2 hours, adding a little water if the sauce becomes too thick.

5. Crush the basil (in a mortar if possible) and add it, with the capers, to your sauce. Warm for 2 or 3 minutes before serving with macaroni or spaghetti.