Venison And Prune Casserole Recipes

VENISON AND PRUNE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Marinate the venison overnight in 300ml of wine and the thyme.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2.
• In a heavy-based pan, heat a third of the butter and gently fry the onions, bacon and rosemary for 10 minutes.
• Tip the meat into a colander over a bowl in the sink, saving the marinade, and season well. Set the marinade aside and scatter the flour on the meat and toss lightly.
• Set aside the oniony-bacon mix, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Add the meat to the pan and fry on a medium heat, stirring regularly.
• Add the carrots, prunes and garlic and fry until you can smell the garlic. Tip the onions and bacon back in and pour in the second glass of red wine and the leftover marinade.
• Bring to the boil, then pour in the stock to submerge the meat. Season, add the bay leaves, then cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. The meat is done when it is very tender but still holding its shape.
• About 45 minutes before serving, put the spuds on the boil and drain and mash when soft. Melt the rest of the butter in the milk and warm the chopped chestnut pieces in it before stirring them into the mash. Season well.
• When the stew is cooked, let it sit out of the oven with the lid still on for at least 15 minutes. Skim off any excess fat and season to taste.
• Serve in shallow bowls with the mash, a handful of watercress, and a little blob of cranberry jelly.

SUCCULENT BRAISED VENISON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Fry the vegetables in a little oil and butter in a heavy-based casserole for 4-5 mins until golden. Tip in the garlic and fry for a further min, 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 - 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 if you like and bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to the oven for about 1½ hrs or until tender. Remove from the oven and check the seasoning.

STUFFED SADDLE OF VENISON WITH PRUNES & BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a shallow pan, then fry the onion, garlic, prunes and bacon until the onion is translucent and the bacon is slightly coloured. Add the brioche and cook until combined and broken down, then add the sage, season and remove from heat.
• Put a sheet of baking parchment on a sheet of foil (both should be larger than your venison). Arrange four pieces of string across the kitchen counter and put the foil and parchment on top - this will help the venison to keep its shape. Lay another four pieces of string across the parchment. Lay the pancetta on top of the paper and string, slightly overlapping the slices so that they cover an area roughly the size of your opened-out venison.
• Lay the venison on top of the pancetta, skin-side down, then spoon the stuffing down the centre, patting it with your hands to make it into a sausage shape.
• Fold in the sides of the venison, along with the pancetta, so they touch or slightly overlap - use the foil and baking parchment to help you. Tie the strings around the venison, making sure that the foil and parchment enclose the meat but stay outside it. Fold in the ends and tie the other pieces of string tightly around the outside of the parcel to hold it in shape.
• Put the venison on a baking sheet or in a roasting tin. Roast for 40-50 mins or until a meat thermometer pushed into the joint reaches 60C, for medium rare meat. Rest for 10 mins, then remove and discard the foil and parchment. Brush the venison all over with butter and return to the oven for a final 10 mins. Leave to rest for 10-15 mins before removing the string and slicing.

HUNTER'S VENISON CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread mashed potatoes evenly in a 2-quart casserole dish; set aside. Brown the venison in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crumbly and no longer pink, set aside.
• Heat the canola oil in the skillet, then stir in the red onion, garlic, celery, and red bell pepper. Cook until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in cooked venison, and season with Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture onto potatoes in the casserole dish.
• Stir together eggs and cottage cheese in a small bowl; spread evenly over meat mixture. Top with tomato slices, and sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until set, about 20 minutes.