First catch your wild boar. Or find an excellent butcher (you can use pork or beef as an alternative). This is one of those comforting stews that remains bright in flavour despite the long cooking time. If you can source ñora chillies – a very mild variety that is usually sun-dried, sometimes smoked and particularly suited to Spanish recipes – you could use them here in place of half of the sweet paprika. I like this with rice, potatoes or bread and brassicas.
SERVES: 4 to 6
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 800g diced wild boar, pork or beef
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1½ tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp hot paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 200ml red wine
- 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp chopped rosemary or thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley, to finish
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Roast the peppers whole for 15-20 minutes. Put in a bowl, cover and leave for a few minutes until the skins slip off easily. Peel, de-seed and cut them into strips.
2. In a large heavy-based casserole dish, heat the olive oil over a moderate heat and seal the meat until coloured, in batches if necessary. Remove the meat and set aside. Leave the oil in the pan.
3. Add the onions to the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic, paprika and cumin, and cook for a few minutes. Add half the red pepper strips along with the meat, the remaining ingredients and enough water to just cover the meat. Bring to the boil and season. Cover and place in the oven.
4. After 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 140C/280F/gas mark 1 and cook for two to three hours until tender. Allow to rest for five minutes then check and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve topped with the parsley and the remaining red pepper strips.
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