After the fall of the Roman Empire, the agricultural system in the Italian territory begins to crumble. Roman cultivated fields are returned to nature. Wild animals gets more and more importance in the meals of weatlhy people.

Since the time of Charlemagne, medieval rulers use the number of wild pigs that can grow in a piece of land, as metrics for determinating its size.

The wild pig appears in Dante in canto XIII, the canto of Pier delle Vigne (a former official of EmperorFrederick II, who committed suicide). Pier delle Vigne in his speech refers several time -openly or in a more subtile way) to hunting. At the end of Pier delle Vigne speech, Dante and his master Virgilio hear noises that are similar “to those of the wild boar hunt (113)”. The description of boar hunt made by Dante makes for an interesting picture of the boar hunting of the time.

Italian cuisine still includes recipes of sweet wild meat which origin is clearly medieval. Among these, we present Wild Boar in Dolceforte.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg  boar meat
• 2 carrots, 1 rib of celery, 1 onion
• 1.5 liters red wine, ¼ liter vinegar,1.5 l meat broth
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 1 glass of extra virgin olive oil, 30 g of butter
• 2 bay leaves, 2 juniper berries,  black peppercorns,
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper

For the “Dolceforte”:

• •100 g of Panforte di Siena*
• 3 Cavallucci (Biscuits from Siena)*
• •50 g pine nuts,
• •50 g walnuts
• •50 g raisins

FOR THE BOAR

Marinate wild boar (24h )hours with red wine, vinegar, juniper berries, peppercorns and bay leaves. Cube the meat, sear it, add salt pepper and a spoonful of flour. Add finely chopped vegetable. Deglaze with the broth. Add the marinade gradually until cooked. Remove the meat, keep the wined broth cooking at low flame.

FOR THE DOLCEFORTE

Powder the spices, beat the dried fruit and and the biscuits, and soak them all in the broth of the boar. Add honey, heat at low flame, stirring all the time. If needed, add flour to thiken.

*you can substitute with: sweet dry biscuit + anise, walnuts, nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon, candied fruit, pepper, cloves, honey