Venison with Redcurrants
Since we discovered Chanctonbury Game at the Farmers’ Markets – see the Sussex Suppliers List – we’ve become hooked on venison. We used to think of it as a luxury meat, but it’s actually very good value.
The original recipe used cranberries - we didn’t have any at the time and redcurrants were in the shops! In fact you could use any similar fruit which has a hint of tartness.
However it might also be interesting to experiment with something sweeter. We have used sultanas successfully in similar recipes – we wondered about trying this one with cherries?
Serve the finished dish with boiled or mashed potatoes, or rice, plus any extra veg you like.
Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes Cooking Time: 90-120 minutes
Ingredients:
* 6 shallots, peeled and cut into quarters (or one medium onion, diced so it stays chunky)
* 1 bottle of Merry Andrew
* 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
* 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
* 3 oz redcurrants (To avoid getting the pips, we pressed them through a sieve and just added the pulp and juice - although for presentation fruit left whole would look better in the finished dish.)
Salt and black pepper to taste
* 3 Tablespoons rapeseed oil (or 2½ Tablespoons olive oil)
*1 Tablespoon corn
flour mixed with 3 Tablespoons beer (put aside this beer before you
start, or you’ll need to open another bottle . . . Hmm, not a bad idea!)
* To make enough for four servings just double the quantities where the symbol * appears next to them.
Method: