Description
Hearty Venison Casserole delivers rich woodland flavors straight from European hunting traditions. Rustic ingredients blend seamlessly, creating a comforting meal you’ll crave during chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 2.5 kg (5.5 pounds) venison (haunch or shoulder), diced
- 4 rashers smoked bacon, chopped
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 2 onions, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 500 g (17.6 ounces) chestnut mushrooms, halved
Liquids and Seasonings:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 25 g (0.9 ounces) butter
- 1/2 bottle red wine
- 400 ml (13.5 fluid ounces) water
- 2 beef stock cubes
- 3 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
- Salt
- Pepper
- 50 g (1.8 ounces) cornflour
Garnish:
- Redcurrants
- Herbs
Serving:
- New potatoes
- Spinach
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil in a large skillet, gently caramelize onions until translucent and golden.
- Introduce minced garlic, sliced mushrooms, and crispy bacon pieces to the pan, sautéing until fragrant and slightly browned.
- In a separate pan, quickly sear venison chunks over high heat to develop a rich, caramelized exterior, ensuring meat remains tender.
- Merge the sautéed vegetables and browned venison in a deep casserole dish.
- Deglaze the meat pan with red wine, then add water, crumbled stock cubes, and fruit jelly, creating a complex, layered cooking liquid.
- Bring the mixture to a vigorous boil, allowing flavors to meld and intensify.
- Cover the casserole dish and transfer to a preheated oven at 150°C, slow-cooking for 90 minutes to tenderize the venison.
- Remove from oven and whisk cornflour with cold water until smooth, then gently stir into the casserole to create a luxurious, velvety sauce.
- Return to low heat, simmering until the sauce reaches a perfect, glossy consistency.
- Plate alongside creamy mashed potatoes and wilted spinach, finishing with a sprinkle of fresh herbs or cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Enhance meat tenderness by marinating venison in red wine or buttermilk for 2-4 hours before cooking to reduce gamey flavor and tenderize tough muscle fibers.
- Choose younger venison cuts like loin or shoulder for more delicate texture and milder taste, avoiding older game meat which can be extremely tough.
- Create a gluten-free version by substituting cornflour with arrowroot powder or potato starch, maintaining the same thickening properties without wheat-based ingredients.
- Elevate flavor complexity by adding dried herbs like thyme or rosemary during braising, complementing the rich, earthy profile of venison and enhancing overall depth of the casserole.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 395 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg