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Master The Menu: Our Wild Boar Ragu

Try The Botanist’s Signature Wild Boar Ragu At Home

A hearty, comforting favourite that hits the spot in every season.

This sauce is a labour of love, made with wild boar that is braised for 8 hours till the meat falls apart and is full of flavour.

Wild boar ragu at The Botanist

A constant on our menu, this recipe is a tried and tested favourite. While wild boar is an unconventional meat, we love that it is sustainably and locally harvested by Billy at Discovered Wild Foods. While the current version on our menu is served with fresh pappardelle from Fabbrica, this sauce can be paired with any thick cut pasta and is bound to fulfil your comfort food cravings.

Set the mood:

We’ve curated a playlist that will transport you to the cosy corners of Kirribilli’s hidden gem, without leaving your kitchen.

Recipe Video:

Catch our Head Chef Sendura Lim in action as she shows you the steps to make the perfect ragu!

Behind The Dish

Wild boar, a highly sustainable product sourced from the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, allows us to address the issue of wild feral animals damaging farmlands. This introduced species management is not only effective but also yields a wonderfully approachable and delicious ragu.

We slow-braise the wild boar meat alongside prosciutto offcuts, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and an array of herbs for a full 8 hours, resulting in melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. As wild boar is lean, it requires fat to help round out the flavours and add creaminess. Our fresh pappardelle is cooked to order, and the ragu is enriched with a touch of butter, topped with shaved Parmigiano cheese.

This classic Aussie dinner showcases the finest locally sourced ingredients, making us Kirribilli’s local gem. Our commitment to locally harvested, produced, and prepared food is not only good for the environment but also a testament to our dedication to the Kirribilli community.

Ingredients

Wild boar thigh
White onion
Carrots
Celery
Prosciutto
3-4 fresh sprigs of rosemary
2-3 bay leaves
Few sprigs of thyme
300 mls red wine
Confit garlic
Prosciutto
Tomato paste
Crushed tomatoes
A knob of butter
Parmesan cheese and pasta, to serve

Method

Cut the boar meat into medium sized cubes, preserving its shape while removing sinew.

Dice the onion, carrot, celery, and prosciutto into small cubes, and crush and chop the confit garlic.

Sear the boar meat in a pot until golden brown in batches for even caramelisation. Set aside when done.

In the same pot, fry prosciutto until fat renders, then add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until onion softens and becomes fragrant. Deglaze with red wine, reducing it by half.

Add aromatics – rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, and garlic, frying briefly. Stir in tomato paste and crushed tomatoes or passata. Return boar meat to the pot and cook on low heat until tender (usually 5-6 hours, depending on chunk size). Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

To serve, heat a pan with some ragu and chicken stock, generously season with salt. Cook pasta until al dente, toss with ragu (add pasta cooking liquid). Remove from heat, add a knob of butter for creaminess, and top with a generous blizzard of shaved parmesan. Chef Sendura’s tip – it should look like Mount Everest.

Serve with a bold red wine and don’t forget to slurp, sip and savour!