Wild boar stew with mushrooms featuring caraway, marjoram & lots of paprika with both slow cooker and stovetop instructions.
This recipe is a wonderfully easy and fool proof way to get to grips with a different and delicious protein source.
Wild Boar Casserole
We get access to some wonderful game out here in the Hungarian countryside and this recipe is one of my very favourite Autumn and Winter stews.
Game is not an unusual thing to find here. I have recipes as varied as rabbit tagine through to a venison burger!
This simple stew comes with both slow cooker and stovetop instructions.
Flavour-wise it is very much influenced by my adopted home here in central Europe.
It shares much in common with my marha porkolt recipe and has many flavour cross overs with a traditional Hungarian Goulash.
Don’t worry if game ain’t your game or you struggle to find it. I make this exact same dish with shin of beef.
The only difference is I cook it for a couple of hours longer in the slow cooker and it rocks!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does wild boar taste like?
Well, the simple answer is, erm… Wild Boar. If you are expecting pork then you will be surprised. I guess the closest I can think of is a cross between pork and beef.
Wild boar has very little fat and but despite that, it really works well when slowly cooked, as I do here and in this wild boar ragu .
You can cook it quicker, as I do with my wild boar steak, but you do need to be careful not to overcook it.
Is this best cooked in a slow cooker or in a Dutch oven?
There is very little in it in terms of the final dish, so you can take your choice. I personally prefer to cook it on the stovetop, but that says more about me than the relative benefits of either cooking method.
This wild boar stew cooked in the slow cooker works perfectly. The meat is fork-tender, there ain’t no need for a knife with this bad boy.
What is streaky bacon?
A question that I am often asked by US visitors to my site, streaky bacon is what you guys call bacon!
Regular bacon or back bacon in the UK is what you guys refer to as Canadian bacon.
What is tomato passata?
Another question often asked by US-based readers, tomato passata is nothing more than sieved tomatoes, the closest product in the US is tomato puree I am led to believe.
However, “Mutti” branded passata does seem to be available in some places.
Can I use smoked paprika?
If you must, however, this dish has very definite “Central European” leanings and sweet paprika is king in those parts.
Serving Suggestions
The first thing to note is that this recipe serves four rather than the usual two that I focus on.
It will store in the fridge for 3-4 days and as with many stews it improves with age.
Just like my beef in red wine stew this recipe just loves to be served with a mash.
I usually go with a buttery mashed potato, but it would also be wonderful with celeriac mash!
One final note, if you can score a leg of boar then you must try this roasted whole leg of boar it is glorious!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- 24cm or 10″ Dutch oven (or similarly sized saucepan with a heavy base) or a 4 litre (4-quart) slow cooker.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Weighing scales and or measuring jug, cups and spoons.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
Yield: 4 Servings
Wild Boar Stew Recipe with Mushrooms
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
This wild boar stew is the perfect winter warmer, hearty and delicious the aroma from the kitchen will have your belly rumbling all day!
Ingredients
- 600g (21oz) Wild Boar
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- ½-¾ Tsp Salt
- ½ Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 50g (½ Cup) Celery
- 75g (½-¾ Cup) Carrot
- 200g (1⅓ Cup) Onion
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 250ml (1 Cup) Red Wine
- 100g (3½ oz) Smoked Streaky Bacon
- 1 Tbsp Caraway Seeds
- 250ml (1 Cup) Tomato Passata
- 200g (2 Small-Medium) Tomatoes
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano or Marjoram
- 2 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
- 250ml (1 Cup) Cold Water
- 250g (2-3 Cups) Mushrooms
- 50g (3 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Butter
Instructions
- Cut the boar into a rough 3cm (1¼)dice.
- Cut the carrot, celery and onion into a 5-6mm (¼") dice.
- Cut the bacon into 5-6mm (¼") cubes.
- Slice the garlic cloves as finely as you can.
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters.
- Cut the mushrooms into bite-sized (2cm or ¾") pieces
Slow Cooker Instructions.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium heat and fry off the bacon until crispy.
- Transfer the bacon to a (4 litre or 1-quart) slow cooker ensuring you keep as much of the fat in the pan as possible.
- Add the carrot, celery and onion to the pan and fry for 10 minutes on a medium heat to soften.
- Throw in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes and transfer to the slow cooker.
- If the pan is looking dry add a little more oil and add the wild boar in two batches seasoning each with salt and pepper.
- Fry until golden then add to the slow cooker.
- Return the frying pan to a high heat and when it is searingly hot pour in the red wine.
- Reduce the wine by half to two-thirds and then pour over the meat in the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the slow cooker and stir well.
- Add the tomato passata, water, tomatoes, caraway seeds, bay leaves and oregano or marjoram.
- Sprinkle over the paprika, stir and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Melt the butter in the pan and saute the mushrooms for 5 minutes.
- Add to the slow cooker and cook for a final 30 minutes on low.
Stovetop Instructions.
- Heat a 24cm or 10" Dutch oven or saucepan with a lid and a heavy base over a medium heat.
- Add the bacon and fry until crispy.
- Throw in the onion, celery and carrot and stir to coat in the bacon fat.
- Season the wild boar with salt and pepper and then add the flour and mix to coat.
- Turn the heat up under the pan and add the boar.
- Cook until browned stirring regularly.
- Add the remaining ingredients with the exception of the butter and mushrooms.
- Bring to temperature and have a taste of seasoning with salt and pepper as required.
- Add a lid and simmer on low for 2½ hours.
- Half an hour before you are ready to serve, saute off the mushrooms in the butter.
- Add to the stew and simmer on low for a final 30 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 542Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 667mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 41g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
