Venison casserole with port and wild mushroom
This recipe for a delicious Venison casserole with port and wild mushroom is something a little more special than your usual casserole. The big flavours come together to create a glossy, sumptuous meal that can be prepared in advance and enjoyed in full when served.
Venison has a similar taste to beef, but is richer and has a gamey taste to it. Venison tends to have a finer texture and is leaner than comparable cuts of beef, but for this recipe, you can use the cheaper, fattier cuts – as they will make for a richer casserole.
Venison suits strong fruity flavours and is a perfect partner for the juniper and redcurrant jelly used in this dish.
This recipe was submitted to Kitchen Geekery by Essential Cuisine, makers of some highly recommended cooking stocks.
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Total Time:
- Servings: 4
- Course: Main Course
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 600 g venison (diced)
- 250 ml red wine
- 250 ml water
- 200 g onion (chopped)
- 200 g wild mushroom (oyster, chanterelle, ceps, etc.) (sliced)
- 100 g carrot (diced)
- 100 g celery (diced)
- 100 g basil leaves
- 100 ml port
- 8 juniper berries (crushed)
- 4 smoked bacon rashers (cut into strips (lardons)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 30 g plain flour
- 10 g unsalted butter
- 10 g beef stock mix
- 10 g tomato puree
- 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
- 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley (chopped)
- 1 tsp thyme, (chopped)
- 1 bay leaf
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Heat the olive oil in a suitably sized pan.
- Toss the diced venison in the flour until coated evenly, carefully add to the hot oil and colour on all sides. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and place into a casserole dish with a lid.
- In the same pan, gently fry the onion and garlic until soft but with not too much colour, add the bacon and crushed juniper.
- Add the mushrooms, carrot and celery, continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato puree and redcurrant jelly, deglaze the pan with the red wine and port.
- Add the beef stock mix and water.
- Add the bay leaf, parsley, basil, and thyme, bring to a rolling boil and pour over the browned venison.
- Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 2 hours — or until the venison is tender.
- Once cooked remove from the oven and pick out the bay leaf and season to taste.
- The venison casserole is now ready to be served.
