“However apparently insignificant the event, whether it be the ring of tobacco ash surrounding the table, the direction from which the wild geese first appeared, or a series of seemingly meaningless human movements, he couldn’t afford to take his eyes off it and must note it all down, since only by doing so could he hope not to vanish one day and fall a silent captive to the infernal arrangement whereby the world decomposes but is at the same time constantly in the process of self-construction.”

-László Krasznahorkai, Sátántangó

Hunt

• Two pounds of meat. Ideally, game: any (or a mixture) of venison, rabbit, wild boar. Beef or lamb or goat will do if game is not available.Do not use poultry. Do not use fish.
• One large onion.
• Eight to ten carrots, about a pound and a half.
• Five or six parsnips, about a pound.
• One lage celery root or three celery stalks.
• A white wine worth drinking, at least a half bottle, up to a full bottle.
• Salt.
• Black peppercorns.
• Three bay leaves.
• Sour cream (optional, to serve).
• Gnocchi, spätzle, or pasta (to serve).

Boil

1. Chop the meat into moderate chunks, each the size of a delicate woman's fist. Coarsely chop the carrots and parsnips. Chop the onion in half.
2. In the cauldron: combine meat, vegetables, bay leaves, wines, ¾ tablespoon of salt, twenty black peppercorns,Ground peppercorns may be substituted if whole peppercorns are unavailable and water as necessary to cover.
3. Bring the cauldron to a moderate boil for fifteen minutes, then reduce to a simmer.
4. Simmer until meat is very tender, approximately two hours. Stir occasionally.
5. Drain the broth. It is no longer needed for this recipe, but is valuable and should be conserved. Consider using it for French Onion Soup.
6. Remove and reserve meat. Remove bay leaves. Purée the vegetables into a coarse sauce. This coarse sauce will be a deep orange color.
7. Shred meat and recombine with coarse sauce.
8. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Young children and those with unrefined palates may enjoy the addition of a half teaspoon of cane sugar or a full teaspoon of honey.
9. Serve over gnocchi, spätzle, or pasta, with the optional addition of sour cream.