Print Wild Boar Stew

1 saucisson dur , 8 oz approx (this is a garlicky, dry French pork sausage; chorizo or any similar dry sausage will serve as an alternative)
6 oz of dry-cured bacon, cubed
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
1 whole head of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 lb of wild boar meat (stewing pork can be used as a substitute; chump end is good for the dish)
4 oz dried white beans (haricot or cannellini are good)
2 pints good quality chicken or pork stock
12 oz peeled chestnuts
2 medium potatoes
1 medium carrot
3-4 good handfuls of greens (Patrick uses wild greens from the woods, but you can use any good, dark greens with a little substance, such as spring greens, Swiss chard or cavolo nero)
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
4 bay leafs
salt and freshly ground black pepper

You may be able to buy chestnuts ready-peeled and vacuum packed. If buying fresh ones, you can make them easier to peel by slitting the shells with a knife and plunging them in boiling water for a minute or so before peeling.
Place the bacon and onions in a good-sized, heavy pot or casserole dish. Cook over a medium for 10 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Add the garlic and wild boar or pork, cover and cook for a further 10 minutes, again ensuring that the meat does not stick.
Add the beans and chestnuts and enough of the stock to cover. Add the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, and season with pepper. Cover the pot and bring to the boil and then place pot in the oven at 180°C for one hour.
Check from time to time and add more stock or water if the beans and chestnuts seem in danger of drying out.
Peel and quarter the potatoes, and slice the carrots. Slice the saucisson.
When the beans and chestnuts are soft, season with salt, and add the saucisson, carrot and potatoes, and a little more stock or water if necessary. Replace the lid and put back in the oven for a further 30 minutes.
Finally, add the greens (rinsed and coarsely shredded), give the pot a stir, replace the lid and return to the oven for a final 15 minutes.

(Note: These cooking times are the fastest that it is possible to prepare the potée. However, if you have time the dish will be even better for reducing the oven temperature and cooking for a correspondingly longer period. The slower the better!)