January is the month for hunkering down and pulling up the duvet and this casserole is perfect for a winter supper or for a shoot lunch. It is a perfect all in one dish and I have served it at a large lunch party in individual bowls wrapped with a cloth napkin.
Braised Venison with a rosti topping
It can be made one month in advance and frozen or two days in advance and re heated.
Serves 4
700g venison cut into large cubes
450ml red wine
300g beef stock
2 red onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1tbsp red currant jelly
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed from the stalks and stalks discarded
1 bay leaf
Salt and Pepper
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp flour
Heat up 1tbsp of the oil and gently fry the onions so that they start to brown. Add the garlic and redcurrant jelly and cook for another minute. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
Put the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, into a large bowl. Toss the venison cubes in the flour until they are well coated.
Melt some more of the olive oil in the pan and brown the meat. You will have to do this in batches so not to over crowd the pan so that the meat browns on all sides. Remove the meat to the onion dish. When all of the meat is browned, tip in any remaining flour and stir so that the fat absorbs the flour. Add the stock and scrape up any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan. Put the meat back into the casserole and pour over the red wine. Add the herbs. Cover the casserole, bring to a rapid simmer, and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the casserole to the pre-heated oven 160c for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. If the sauce needs to be reduced, remove the meat to a heated plate reduce sauce then pour back over meat. Take the Rosti topping and scatter over the casserole, brushing it with some melted butter. Heat the grill to its’ highest setting and grill the rosti until it is golden.
*All casseroles taste much better made 1 day in advance and then re-heated just before serving.
Rosti topping
600g potatoes, peeled and cut in half
6-8 Parsley stalks
2 shallots peeled and cut in half
5 peppercorns
Salt
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Put the potatoes, parsley stalks. Peppercorns, shallots and salt into a pan of water and boil the potatoes for 5-8 minutes to par boil them. Drain well and discard everything except the potatoes.
Let them drain in a colander and cool for 1-2 hours. They must be cold when grated.
Grate them into a bowl using a coarse grater. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and lightly fold it in.
Tip:
Fantastic shooting socks and hankerchiefs are to be had in North Devon – if you find yourself shooting near Barnstaple visit the market in Butchers Row it is a rare treat and cheap too!