flipRoasted Wild Boar with Honey and Cumin
Roasted Wild Boar with Honey and Cumin
Why this dish? At Clovis’s table, in Soissons and then Paris, the great roast of game crowned court feasts. The wild boar, beast of Frankish forests, was the meat of kings and oaths—shared when sealing an alliance or celebrating a victory.
A wild boar shoulder long-roasted, rubbed with herbs and cumin, glazed with honey spiked with garum and vinegar. The tender, smoky flesh contrasts with the sweet-salty glaze, as in the Roman-inherited recipes still cooked in Frankish palaces.
Know, you who listen to me, that at the table of the king my husband, the flesh of the boar was worth all words. We rubbed it with bitter herbs and that cumin that merchants brought from the South, then left it turning over the embers until the fat sang. At the end only I had it anointed with honey and a little garum, for sweet and salty together delight the palate as peace delights the kingdom. Eat it with your bread, and give thanks.
- •Wild boar shoulder — one piece (game meat, heart of the feast)
- •Honey — as much as needed (sweet glaze)
- •Garum — a few splashes (umami brine inherited from Rome)
- •Cumin and coriander seeds — a handful (spices from the South)
- •Savory and lovage — a bunch (aromatic herbs)
- •Wine vinegar — a dash (balancing acidity)
Roasted Wild Boar with Honey and Cumin
A wild boar shoulder long-roasted, rubbed with herbs and cumin, glazed with honey spiked with garum and vinegar. The tender, smoky flesh contrasts with the sweet-salty glaze, as in the Roman-inherited recipes still cooked in Frankish palaces.
Why this dish? At Clovis’s table, in Soissons and then Paris, the great roast of game crowned court feasts. The wild boar, beast of Frankish forests, was the meat of kings and oaths—shared when sealing an alliance or celebrating a victory.
Know, you who listen to me, that at the table of the king my husband, the flesh of the boar was worth all words. We rubbed it with bitter herbs and that cumin that merchants brought from the South, then left it turning over the embers until the fat sang. At the end only I had it anointed with honey and a little garum, for sweet and salty together delight the palate as peace delights the kingdom. Eat it with your bread, and give thanks.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wild boar shoulder — one piece (game meat, heart of the feast)
- Honey — as much as needed (sweet glaze)
- Garum — a few splashes (umami brine inherited from Rome)
- Cumin and coriander seeds — a handful (spices from the South)
- Savory and lovage — a bunch (aromatic herbs)
- Wine vinegar — a dash (balancing acidity)
Ingredients
- Wild boar shoulder (or pork shoulder if unavailable) — 1.5 kg (meat)
- Liquid honey — 4 tbsp (glaze)
- Nuoc mam (modern substitute for garum) — 2 tbsp (salty umami)
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp (spice)
- Crushed coriander seeds — 1 tsp (spice)
- Dried savory — 1 tsp (herb)
- Red wine vinegar — 2 tbsp (acidity)
- Olive oil and salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Rub the meat with oil, salt, cumin, coriander, and savory; let rest for one hour.
- Sear the shoulder on all sides in a Dutch oven, then roast covered in the oven at 150°C (300°F) for about 3 hours, until the meat is tender.
- Mix honey, nuoc mam, and vinegar to make the glaze.
- Uncover, brush generously with glaze, and let caramelize for 20 minutes at 200°C (400°F), basting twice.
- Let rest 15 minutes, then slice and serve on wide slices of bread.
How it was made : The cooks of Merovingian palaces continued the Roman art recorded in the collection of Apicius: meats glazed with honey, seasoned with garum (fermented fish sauce) and imported spices. The whole beast was roasted on a spit over oak embers, and the meat was served on bread trenchers that soaked up the juice.
The contemporary twist : Arrange the slices on a rustic wooden board with the grilled trencher bread and a drizzle of honey jus: a 'royal roast' to share at the center of the table, forks forbidden.
Sources : Apicius, De re coquinaria · Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks
Clotilde · Charactorium
