Venison stew
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- Easy
- Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg venison shoulder, cut into 5cm cubes
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 2 sticks celery, finely diced
- 1 bay leaf
- a few sprigs rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tsp juniper berries, bruised
- 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 250ml sloe gin
- 200ml passata
GREMOLATA
- a small bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed
- 1 lemon, zested plus juice of ½
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
POLENTA
- 200g pre-cooked polenta
- 150g parmesan, finely grated
- 100g unsalted butter
Method
- STEP 1
Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish and brown the meat in batches until well caramelised. Scoop out using a slotted spoon.
- STEP 2
Add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf and rosemary to the pan with a large pinch of salt, and fry gently for 15 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, juniper berries and peppercorns, and cook for 1 minute.
- STEP 3
Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another minute. Pour in the sloe gin, passata and 100ml of water, and return the meat to the pan. Simmer gently, with a lid, for 2 hours, then remove the lid and simmer for 1 hour until the meat is meltingly tender.
- STEP 4
Mix together the parsley, garlic and lemon zest and juice with the olive oil and some seasoning to make the gremolata.
- STEP 5
Heat 1.2 litres of water until simmering in a pan. Pour in the polenta and stir vigorously for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cheese and butter.
- STEP 6
Serve with the stew and gremolata on top.
