Boiled Wild Boar in the Great Cauldron
A shoulder of wild boar long boiled in a broth of herbs and leeks, until the flesh falls apart. A straightforward, deep, savory dish where the broth is almost as prized as the meat.
A shoulder of wild boar long boiled in a broth of herbs and leeks, until the flesh falls apart. A straightforward, deep, savory dish where the broth is almost as prized as the meat.
At the feast, do not claim your place: earn it. The boar you pursue in my groves, throw it whole into the bronze cauldron with spring water, leek, and bitter herbs, and let it sing on the fire all day. When the flesh yields under the fingers, let the thigh be cut — and let the bravest take it, for such is the law of my table. Drink the boiling broth: it is the forest itself warming your belly.
- •Shoulder of wild boar — one piece (feast meat)
- •Wild leeks — several (broth vegetable)
- •Garlic — a few heads (aromatic)
- •Savory and lovage — bunches (bitter herbs)
- •Salt — by hand (broth seasoning)
Boiled Wild Boar in the Great Cauldron
A shoulder of wild boar long boiled in a broth of herbs and leeks, until the flesh falls apart. A straightforward, deep, savory dish where the broth is almost as prized as the meat.
Why this dish? The wild boar, with the stag, is Cernunnos's animal and the emblem of the Gaulish feast. Simmering it in the great bronze cauldron — the god's sacred object — reenacts the banquet where the clan gathers and the bravest receives the finest portion.
At the feast, do not claim your place: earn it. The boar you pursue in my groves, throw it whole into the bronze cauldron with spring water, leek, and bitter herbs, and let it sing on the fire all day. When the flesh yields under the fingers, let the thigh be cut — and let the bravest take it, for such is the law of my table. Drink the boiling broth: it is the forest itself warming your belly.
Ingredients (period version)
- Shoulder of wild boar — one piece (feast meat)
- Wild leeks — several (broth vegetable)
- Garlic — a few heads (aromatic)
- Savory and lovage — bunches (bitter herbs)
- Salt — by hand (broth seasoning)
Ingredients
- Shoulder of wild boar (or free-range pork if unavailable) — 1.2 kg (main meat)
- Leeks — 3 (broth)
- Garlic — 1 head (aromatic)
- Savory, lovage or celery stalks — 1 bouquet (herbs)
- Coarse salt — 1 tbsp (seasoning)
Method
- Place the boar in a large pot, cover generously with cold water and bring to a simmer.
- Skim off the foam that rises, then add split leeks, garlic, herbs, and coarse salt.
- Simmer gently for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the meat falls apart with a fork.
- Remove the meat, slice thickly, and serve drizzled with a ladle of strained, boiling broth.
- Keep the remaining broth: it's the best base for tomorrow's soup.
How it was made : Ancient authors, like Posidonius quoted by Athenaeus, describe Gaulish banquets: seated on skins around the fire, they boiled or roasted large pieces of pork and boar, and the most honorable portion went to the most renowned warrior — to the point that fights would break out over it. The bronze cauldron, like that of Gundestrup, was at the center of these feasts.
The contemporary twist : Present the shredded meat in the broth with a large barley flatbread for dipping, and stick a small fork in it — the "hero's portion" served for two.
Sources : Athenaeus of Naucratis, Deipnosophistae, Book IV (Gaulish banquets after Posidonius) · Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica, Book V
Cernunnos · Charactorium