Venison Braised Gently in Red Wine

We went to the Abergavenny Christmas Food Festival today and we loved the mulled wine, real ale, flying pigs and beautiful game.  Here's my favourite venison recipe to brighten up any weekend dinner table. 

Ingredients

2 carrots, roughly chopped

140g swede, roughly chopped

2 onions, roughly chopped

3 celery sticks, roughly chopped

Olive oil and butter, for frying

1 garlic clove, crushed

1kg leg or shoulder of venison, cut into large chunks

5 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tbsp redcurrant jelly

450ml dry red wine (Rioja is good)

450ml beef stock

2 thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf.

Optional, but worth a try, add 2 squares of good quality dark chocolate at the end of cooking

Method

Heat oven to 180C. Fry the vegetables in a little oil and butter in a heavy-based casserole for 4-5 minutes until golden. Tip in the garlic and fry for a further minute, then set aside.

Put the venison into a plastic bag with seasoned flour and shake to coat. Add a little more oil and butter to the pan, then fry the venison over a high heat, stirring now and then, until well browned. Don’t crowd the pan, so cook in batches if necessary. Set aside with the vegetables.

Add the redcurrant jelly and wine to the pan, and bring to the boil, scraping up all the bits that have stuck to the bottom. Pour in the stock, then add the thyme, bay leaf, meat and vegetables. Season to taste and bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to the oven for about 1½ hours or until tender. Remove from the oven and check the seasoning, adding the chocolate if using.  Fluffy mashed potatoes are all you need to make this a crowd pleaser. 

Recipe adapted from Good Food magazine, January 2006