Category: Local meat

Venison and red pepper stew

A friend of mine comes up regularly to hunt game, including red deer, and he managed to bag a large stag at a recent visit. The meat was plentiful, but not that tender. I also had a lot of peppers, due to a glut (not my own) so I made this. I did look around in my recipe books and on the internet, so this is a combination of a number of ideas.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1kg venison, cubed
  • Around 250ml red wine
  • Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp hot paprika, or 2 tsp paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp plain flour, preferably white bread flour
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 sticks of celery
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 white onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
  • two bayleaves
  • six juniper berries
  • 1 tsp dried thyme, or Italian herbs for meat, or a sprig of fresh thyme
  • three large red sweet peppers
  • 250ml beef or venison or vegetable stock or water (I used beef stock)
  • Chopped parsley to garnish.

METHOD:

  • Chop the venison into cubes, and marinade in olive oil and red wine overnight.
  • Take the venison from the red wine, and keep the red wine for later. Pat it dry.
  • Comine the paprika, flour and 1 tsp salt and then sprinkle over the meat and stir to coat it all well.
  • In a large casserole pan, heat some olive oil and fry off the meat until it is browned. Take the meat out of the pan and set aside. 
  • Cut the onion, carrot, celery and garlic into chunks and then chop finely in a food processer. 
  • Add the vegetables to the pan over a medium heat. You may need to add a little oil. As the vegetables cook and moisten the brown crust in the pan, scrape it up and keep stirring. 
  • Once the vegetables are soft, add the tomato paste and keep cooking for another minute or so. 
  • Add the red wine marinade, and cook until half the wine has evaporated.
  • Add the meat and herbs  and any juices into the pan and stir to combine. Add enough stock or water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a low simmer. 
  • You could simmer on the top of the stove for around four hours. Check every so often to check that there is enough liquid in the pan, and give it a little stir. An alternative would be to put it in the oven at 140C. 
  • Once the meat is beginning to get tender, chop the peppers into squares, and saute them until they are soft. Add them to the pan, and simmer for another hour. Then the stew is ready. 

You could add the peppers to the vegetables at the beginning, or use red pepper paste, and they will be incorporated into the sauce. I enjoyed the chunks of pepper in the stew. 

I served this with mashed potatoes and parsnips one night, and with sprouts and baked potatoes the next night. When I reheated it, I moistened the stew with a little red wine. SO good. 

 

Kibbeh pie

This is from Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi’s book ‘Jerusalem’. They have both spoken out about the horrendous scorched earth that is Palestine, and how Palestinian food traditions are embedded in the dishes of the region. This is not 100% traditional, but it is still delicious. Of course, I had to make a few adjustments to take into account what was available locally. The inspiration for making this was finding some minced lamb in one of the local shops. 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • Bulghur wheat (fine, if possible, but I could only get medium). 
  • Olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped and crushed
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 350g – 400g minced lamb
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaf.
  • 3 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 60g pine nuts
  • 2 tbsp self-raising flour
  • 50g light tahini paste (I have no idea if my tahini was light, it was from the co-op)
  • 2 tsp lemon juice (half a small lemon should do)
  • 1 tsp ground sumac (I used Zahtar from seasoned pioneers because I didn’t have any sumac)

METHOD:

  • Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan oven). Line a round springform or loose bottomed cake tin with grease-proof paper. I used a little oil to make sure it didn’t shift about too much. 
  • Soak the bulghur wheat in 200ml hot water for 30 minutes at least. 
  • While the wheat is soaking, heat some olive oil in a large frying pan, and gently cook the onion until it is soft. As it is cooking, add the crushed garlic and chilli. Take your time; the onion should be soft but not browned. This will take around 10 minutes. 
  • Remove the onion from the pan, and then turn the heat up to medium and add the lamb. Cook this for around 5 minutes, stirring all the time, to ensure it is browned well. 
  • Add the onions back into the pan along with the spices, coriander leaf, half a teaspoonful of salt, a good grating of black pepper, and most of the pinenuts and parsley. Cook and mix for a couple of minutes and adjust the seasoning to taste. 
  • Strain the bulgur wheat if necessary, and then add the flour, 1 tbsp olive oil, a good pinch of salt and a good grating of black pepper. Kneed together to make a pliable mixture. You may need to add a little more flour if the mixture is too sticky.
  • Push the wheat mixture into the base of the cake tin. Then add the lamb mixture, press it down and then bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
  • Meantime, a bit of magic with the tahini. Whisk this together with 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp water and a pinch of salt. It should end up the consistency of double cream. 
  • Remove the kibbeh pie from the oven, spread the tahini sauce over the top, sprinkle over the remaining pine nuts and chopped parsley, and return to the oven for a further 10 to 12 minutes, until the tahini is setting and the pine nuts are golden. 
  • Remove from the oven and let it settle to a warm temperature. Before serving a drizzle of olive oil and then a sprinkle of sumac or zahtar. 

I had this with a green salad and a dish of tzatziki. 

Polpette (another version)

I sometimes use a cunning cheat to make meatballs; if I have good quality beef burgers, I use those. I had some Charlie Barley hamburgers in the freezer, so I used these to make polpette. Any burgers would do, but I felt confident that the quality of these would make good meatballs. I kneeded the hamburgers into one big lump and then divided it up. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 beef burgers
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 3 tbsp good olive oil
  • 1 good pinch of peperoncino or other dried chilli
  • 3 tins of chopped tinned tomatoes (I used Mutti; for a good sauce, use good tomatoes if you can)
  • finely chopped parsley – about 1 tbsp
  • salt and pepper to

METHOD:

  • Divide the meat mixture into at least 16 meatballs
  • Use a large shallow pan with a lid, such as a large frying pan. Heat the oil over a low heat and add the finely chopped onions. As they soften, add the peperoncino and the garlic. The onion should be very soft when cooked; be patient. This will take at least ten minutes if you have the heat low enough. 
  • Add the tinned tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and then arrange the meatballs in the sauce. 
  • Put the lid on the pan, but wedge it open a little with a wooden spoon. The sauce will reduce slowly but most of the liquid will drip back into the pot. Cook the meatballs in the sauce for around 2 to 3 hours. 
  • Season the sauce with salt and pepper and the chopped parsley to taste. 

Serve over pasta. I like it with spaghetti or linguini, but any pasta will be lovely.  I added a heap of grated parmesan cheese as well. 

Beef curry in the oven

This is a very easy recipe from ‘Curry Easy’ – a regular source of inspiration. I made a smaller version than the recipe in the book. I served it with rice and a side serving courgettes, sliced into finger-sized lengths, quickly fried and sprinkled with salt, pepper, coriander, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, 

INGREDIENTS:

  • vegetable oil
  • 3 green cardamom pods
  • a stick of cinnamon
  • 450 to 500g diced beef, in large chunks
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 200ml plain unsweetened yoghurt, whipped to smoothness
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

METHOD: 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C
  • Heat the oil in a casserole pan, and add the cardamom and cinnamon for a few seconds, before adding the meat, and stirring to ensure that each side is browned. Transfer the browned meat to a bowl .
  • Add the onions and cumin seeds to the casserole pan, and fry over a medium heat until the onions are beginning to brown.
  • Add the meat back to the pan along with the coriander, ginger, cayenne pepper and salt, then stir in the yoghurt. 
  • Cover the casserole dish and bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. Madhur Jaffrey suggests covering the dish with tin foil before putting the lid on, and this will keep the moisture in more effectively. 

 

Persian Chicken in a tomato sauce

This is a simple dish on its own, best served with rice or fried potatoes, or even chips. The main recipe I tried was from ‘Nightingales and Roses‘, one of my favourite sources for ideas. I made a smaller version than the one in the recipe book. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Vegetable oil or ghee
  • Jointed chicken, around 600g
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 3 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
  • 250ml stock or water
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime (or to taste)

METHOD:

  • Heat the oil in a casserole pan, and sear the chicken pieces until golden on all sides. Remove these from the pan and set aside
  • In the same oil, fry the onion until it is beginning to brown, before adding the turmeric, salt and pepper, and the tomato paste. Stir to combine and heat through for a minute or so, before adding the stock and bringing to a simmer.
  • Add the chicken back to the pan, cover with a lid, and leave to simmer slowly for 30 minutes. 
  • At the end of cooking, remove the lid, and add the lime juice to taste. Simmer for another 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked and tender. 

 

Beef meatballs with lemon and celeriac

I love celeriac, and was very sad when it was not available for a while. This is a deliciously tasty dish that I have been waiting to try, and now celeriac are back, I am busy hunting out the recipes. This one is from Ottolenghi’s book, ‘Simple’.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 450g beef mince
  • 1 onion, very finely chopped or grated (a food processer works well)
  • 120g plain breadcrumbs
  • 20g chopped parsley
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 3/4 tsp allspice
  • olive oil
  • 1 small or half a large celeriac, peeled, quartered and each quarter sliced into fans 1cm thick
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 1/2 tsp lightly crushed fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
  • 500ml stock
  • 3 to 4 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and pepper

METHOD:

  • Put the mince, onions, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley and allspice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and kneed the mixture together and then form into meatballs, about the size of a pingpong ball, or slightly smaller. Each ball should weigh around 40g
  • Heat the oil in a large saute pan that has a lid. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs and fry them off over five minutes, turning them so that they are browned all over. Transfer them onto a plate so the pan is free for the next step.
  • Turn the heat up and add the celeriac, the rest of the spices and the garlic, and fry for a couple of minutes.
  • Once the garlic starts to colour, add the meatballs, stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. Adjust the seasoning to taste. 
  • Simmer with the lid on for around 30 minutes, then take the lid off and reduce the sauce for around 10 minutes. 
  • Once cooked, remove from the heat for around 10 minutes. This gives you time to sort out any accompaniments. 

I served this with rice, and with some Greek yoghurt that I had seasoned with salt, pepper and mint. I garnished the dish with more parsley. 

Lamb and squash tagine

There’s always room in my life for more tagine recipes. This was prompted by the arrival of a large squash. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ras-el-hanout
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 600g diced lamb
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
  • 200g soft dried apricots
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 500ml stock
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • coriander leaves, chopped
  • Salt and pepper

METHOD:

  • Heat the oven to 200C. 
  • In a casserole dish, heat the oil and cook the onion for five minutes until it is softening. Add the garlic and the spices and cook for another minute or two, stirring so the mixture doesn’t catch. 
  • Add the lamb, squash and apricots to the dish, mix and pour over the tomatoes and stock. Season wtih salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, and then cover. Transfer to the oven. 
  • After one hour, take it out to check progress,and to give it a stir and to check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. If it is a  bit too wet, take the lid off, and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes
  • Before serving, add the lemon zest and check the seasoning. 

Serve with rice and yoghurt, and a garnish of chopped coriander. 

Venison with Harissa

I got some Belazu rose harissa paste from the co-op, very soft and complex, easy to add to dishes. I also had a stew-pack of venison in the freezer.  I made a version of venison tagine, which can be adapted very easily. I added carrot batons, but butternut squash would be a good addition as well. I served this with bulgar wheat and lentils. Traditional tagines are served with salads and flatbreads. Carrot salad, lentil salad, and mixed salad all go well.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Olive oil
  • 500g diced venison
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp rose harissa paste
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 500ml stock
  • 3 carrots, chopped into large batons
  • 50g dried apricots, roughly chopped
  • Fresh herbs as a garnish (mint, coriander or parsley)

METHOD:

  • Heat some olive oil at a medium/high temperature in a casserole dish, and fry the onions and celery until soft. 
  • Add the garlic and cook for two more minutes
  • Add the meat, and stir until the meat is beginning to brown.  
  • Lower the heat a little, add the spices and harissa and cook for two more minutes
  • Lower the heat a little more, and add the tomato puree and cook for around five minutes
  • Add the tinned tomatoes, carrot batons, and stock, and bring to a gentle boil, whilst stirring. 
  • Cover and put into the oven at 160C for 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Add the apricots and cook for a further ten minutes. 

Garnish with herbs, and serve with side dishes of salads, flat-breads, slivered almonds. If you are cooking for friends, pull out all the stops with the salads. 

Sliced venison with mushrooms, Hungarian Bakony style.

This is anothe recipe from ‘The cuisine of Hungary’. The recipes so far have been striaghtforward and the results, very tasty. The original recipe asks for 450g wild mushrooms, which is a big ask, so I used 40g mixed dried wild mushrooms and a small punnet of chestnut mushrooms. I served this with rice, as suggested in the original recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 600g venison
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 30g plain flour
  • 30g lard
  • 2 small onions, finley chopped
  • 1 tbsp hot paprika
  • 120ml stock
  • 40g dried mushrooms
  • 50g fresh mushrooms
  • 3 tbsp sour cream

METHOD:

  • Soak the dried mushrooms in cold water for 30 minutes. 
  • Cut the meat into 2cm thick slices. Lay them flat, sprinkle with salt and then dredge them with flour on each side. 
  • Melt the lard in a frying pan, and fast-fry the venison on both sides, then put the meat into the bottom of a large casserole dish. 
  • Fry the onions in the same pan until golden in colour, then add 1 tbsp cold water and the paprika. Doing this stops the paprika from scorching. Cover the pan and cook until the liquid has evaporated. 
  • Slice the soaked mushrooms and add to the meat, followed by the onion mixture, along with a little stock. Cover tightly and simmer over a low heat until the meat is half-cooked. 
  • Slice the fresh mushrooms, and fry them in the same frying panfor a minute, before adding to the casserole once the meat is half-cooked. Cook for another thirty minutes. Keep checking on the casserole and add a little stock to keep it from becoming dry. 
  • Mix 1 tbsp flour with the sour cream, and stir into the casserole. Bring the stew back to the simmer and serve with rice. 

Hungarian style venison cutlets

This is another dish from George Lang’s book. The Cuisine of Hungary. My daughers loved it because of the green peppers. I have adapted slightly, as the original recipe did not suggest skinning the tomatoes, and I regretted not doing it. I served this with plain rice. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 600g venison, for example boned leg, sliced into cutlets and pounded to make them flat
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp lard
  • 1 large onion, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
  • 2 tsp hot paprika
  • 2 medium tomatoes, skinned and sliced
  • 800g large potatoes, peeled and cut into long segments.
  • 3 green peppers, sliced

METHOD: 

  • Prepare the cutlets, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry them in 1 tbsp lard and put them into the bottom of a large pan.
  • In a frying pan, melt the rest of the lard, and fry the diced onion until it starts to brown. 
  • Add the caraway seeds, and then a minute later add about 100ml cold water, stir and add the paprika. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.
  • Pour the onion mixture over the meat, as well as a little water, and cook over a low heat. Check every five to ten minutes, topping up with a little water if required.
  • Once the meat is almost done, add the tomatoes, peppers and tomatoes. The cooking time will depend on the meat, but if you gave it a good bashing, then it won’t take too long. 
  • Continue to cook for another half an hour or so, so that the potatoes are done. Adjust the seasoning before serving.