Venison Casserole with Wild Mushrooms and Lingonberries
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 800 g diced venison leg or shoulder
- 1 onion large, finely chopped
- 5 juniper berries
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 Sprigs fresh thyme
- 2-3 Tbls butter
- 300 g chestnut mushrooms halved
- 15 g dried wild fungus
- 150 ml boiling water
- 1 ½ Tbls flour
- 2 tsp tomato puree
- 500 ml beef stock
- 125 ml whipping cream
- 12 shallots small
- 3 Tbls Lingonberries, frozen defrosted. If lingonberries are unavailable use cranberries but cook with a little sugar.
- 1 tsp caster sugar
Instructions
- Firstly take the dried wild fungus and place into a bowl and pour over 150ml of boiling water. Set to one side.
- Heat a heavy based pan with 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil and a knob of butter and set to a high. Seasoning the meat with salt and pepper, brown the venison in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Now add the chopped onion to the unwashed pan: you want all the flavour from the venison, perhaps add a little more oil. Sauté until soft and translucent, add the chestnut mushrooms and sauté for a further 5 minutes. Add the flour, stir and cook for several minutes then add the tomato puree. Now add the beef stock in 3 additions, letting it come back to a simmer between each addition. Finally strain the liquor from the fungus through a fine sieve, (it can be gritty). Pour the liquor into the pan, the fungus will be added later. Add the cream, bay leaf, juniper berries and 1 sprig of thyme and simmer gently for 45-90 minutes or until the meat is tender.
- Meanwhile, blanch the shallots in boiling water for 15 seconds. Drain and cool under running water, then peel. Pop the shallots into a frying pan, brown with a little oil and butter, then add to casserole 15 minutes before the end of cooking with the fungus.
- Finally defrost the lingonberries, add the caster sugar and stir, leave to steep for an hour.
- Serve with creamy mashed potato and the lingonberries with some fresh thyme.