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.