I was in the supermarket the other day and came across something I’ve never encountered before: a wild boar roast. Now, I’ve seen these critters on the National Geographic channel; but I had never cooked one. I thought, this is my chance. Let’s see what it’s all about.

A wild boar is, simply, a tusked wild pig from which domestic pigs are descended.  I’ve seen countless movies where the protagonists, usually uppity English and French types, go on wild boar hunts. I would tend to think it’d be a dangerous endeavor.  And now I had a chance to make a roast. I’m told that wild boar is particularly popular in Tuscany, where it’s  cooked in ragus, and also made into sausages. The meat is similar to pork, only darker and more intensely flavored. Note that  a  wild boar roast is made from the knuckle and is pre-tied to hold its shape and allow for even cooking. Please remove the string before cooking.

The recipe I contrived is more along the lines of Nuyorican cuisine, of which I am most familiar. Thus it has the usual ingredients: salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and olive oil. On the suggestion of  friend, I also added rosemary and thyme for more nuanced  flavor. The meat was roasted atop potatoes (red or white), bell pepper (I used yellow, but you can use green or red pimentos), and carrots. All in all, a meal that harkens to scenes of upper class aristocrats enjoying  boar and a fine Bordeaux.  No, we did not get dressed up for this one. We sat in our lounge pants while listening to the Eagles as background music.

WILD BOAR ROAST

Ingredients:

1½ pounds wild boar roast
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into slivers
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced into rings
1 bell pepper (red, green or yellow), sliced into strips lengthwise
2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch chunks
1 pound unpeeled potatoes, washed, scrubbed and sliced into thin rounds
6 sprigs fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
6 sprigs fresh rosemary or ¼ teaspoon dried
¾ cup beef stock
¼ cup dry red wine

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2.  Rinse boar roast under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Make incisions at equal space around the roast and stuff with garlic slivers. Season and rub roast with salt, pepper, and oregano.
3.  Heat olive oil in a roasting pan or oven-proof fry pan or skillet and sear the roast on all sides over medium-high heat. Remove roast and set aside.
4.  In the same pan, saute onion, bell pepper, carrots and potatoes for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the thyme and rosemary. Place the roast boar on top. Add the beef stock and wine. Bring to a roiling boil and place in the oven, covered, and roast for ½ to 1 hour, or as long as it takes to reach an internal temperature of 155-160 degrees with a meat thermometer. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
   Yield: 4 servings.
   

This is one of the easiest recipes I know for making salmon fillets. As we know, salmon can be steamed, baked or broil.  Normally, I just season it, drizzle it with lemon juice and butter and cook it the oven. Quick and no mess.  A lemon-butter sauce is a good way to go. You can see this in my post of 12/ 15/18 Poached Fish Fillets in Lemon-Butter Sauce, which can be applied to almost any seafood.

But wine-butter sauce is another way to perfect this dish. Just note that salmon has a unique favor of its own that does not need enhancing with rich sauces and a plethora of spices. This masks the flavor of the fish. So, I prepare the dish with the basics: salt, pepper, and a little oregano. Add butter and white wine, and you have a marvelous seafood entrée. With some veggies and potatoes, and a light white wine (chardonnay, moselle, chenin blanc, suavignon blanc, pinot grigio, or, if you can afford it, meursualt). I had it with a rosé from Australia, North South Wales, a Yarrunga Field Rosé, and it was perfect. If you can get it, great. If not, the other choices work just as well.

SALMON IN WINE-BUTTER SAUCE

Ingredients:

2 pounds salmon fish fillets
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

1. Rinse fillets under cold running water and oat dry with paper towels.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium fry pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
3.  Season on both sides with the salt, pepper and oregano, patting the spices on the fish.
4.  Heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets, skin side up, and cook, uncovered, 2 minutes. Turn salmon over and cook 3 minutes. Add butter and wine to pan and cook, covered, until fish is opaque throughout and sauce is reduced, about 3 or more, depending upon thickness of fillets. Transfer to a serving platter, and drizzle sauce over fish when serving.
   Yield: 4 servings.

This recipe comes to us by way of Jamaica, where curry has been an ingredient in the cuisine since the 1800s. Think of such dishes as Curry Goat and Curry Chicken. We Nuyoricans have adopted and followed up on it with today’s dish, Ternera con Pollo de Curry, or Curried Veal. There are those who question using curry in such a delicate meat as veal. And we respond, Why Not? This is not veal that is pounded thin as in Veal Scallopini. These are veal chunks and the curry give it a true piquancy.

True to its original concept, we add raisins to the dish to give it a hint of sweetness. In Caribbean cuisine the dish may also be tempered with shredded coconut and such cut-up fruit as apples and apricots. If desired, go for it. We like to keep it a simple as possible, thus raisins and nothing else.

Curry is that unique dish that defies wine convention. In the tropics, beer is the usual preferred beverage. But if, like myself, you like wine, I’ve discovered that a wine from Germany’s Moselle River Valley is a perfect accompaniment, anything from the Falkenberg, Lay or Juffer vineyards. If Moselle is not available, then a Gewurztraminer. I know, it’s a tongue twister, but it’s a crisp, white wine with a hint of spice that  favorably complements the curry.

An added note. This recipe is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America. Buy a copy. If I could, I would personally every one of them.

TERNERA CON POLVO DE CURRY
(Curried Veal)

Ingredients:

2 pounds shoulder of veal, cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt and ground back pepper to taste
½ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and  sliced into thin rings
1 medium green bell pepper, or a combination of red and green peppers, cored seeded and chopped
2 clove garlic, peeled and mince
1 ½ cups chicken broth or bouillon
½ teaspoon curry powder or more to taste
¼ cup black raisins

Instructions:

1. Wash veal and pat dry with paper towels
2.  Season veal with salt and pepper.
3.  Heat oil in a heavy kettle or Dutch oven. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté over moderate heat until tender.
4.  Add veal chunks and cook until browned.
5.  Add chicken broth, and stir in curry and raisins.
6.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until veal is tender.
7.  If necessary, the sauce can be thickened with a mix of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water.
   Yield: 4 serving