Recipe: Dorset Venison with Prunes

SLOW COOKED VENISON WITH PRUNES

This recipe comes from chef Lisa Osman of All Hallows Farmhouse. You can used diced venison or even diced mixed game. You'll need to soak the prunes in port the night before. It takes about half an hour to prepare it and 2 to 3 hours to slow cook it in the oven. Lisa writes: “Don’t let the prunes dissuade you from this delicious recipe – after all, they ARE dried plums! Prunes add a sticky, sweetness and depth of flavour that turns this family meal to a dinner party treat.”

Feeds 6 people   Oven temperature: 130ºC or Gas 2

INGREDIENTS

• 900g Diced venison or mixed game
• Olive oil 
• 75g butter 
• 50g plain flour
• 225g shallots peeled and trimmed 
• 4cm fresh ginger peeled and grated 
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• Generous grinding of black pepper
• Half of a whole nutmeg grated 
• 1 tsp coriander seeds ground in a pestle and mortar 
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• Half a bottle of good red wine – something that you would drink! 
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 
• 450ml venison or beef stock 
• 110g pecans – toasted in a little oil in a hot pan, when you are ready to serve (optional)
• 24 stoned dried prunes, preferrably soaked in port overnight

METHOD

Heat a heavy-based pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and knob of butter, once the butter is foaming add the shallots and cook gently but do not brown.

Reduce heat, add crushed garlic and grated ginger. Continue to cook for a few minutes, then place into a casserole with tight fitting lid.

Add a little more oil to the pan and increase the heat.  Sprinkle dry spices over the meat, sear in small batches, adding extra oil if necessary. Add to the casserole.

Once all the venison is seared, return pan to a high heat, quickly add the red wine to reduce by half.  At the same time scrape residue from pan.  Add the stock, bring to boil, and reduce to a simmer.

Over a low heat, melt the remaining butter in a separate pan, add the flour and mix together. Cook for a couple of minutes stirring all of the time.  Remove from the heat. 

Add 1/3rd of the hot stock to the butter and flour stirring vigorously to avoid any lumps, add the next 1/3rd and continue stirring.  Repeat with the remaining hot stock then replace the pan on the heat, stirring all the time, bring the sauce to a boil.

Once the sauce has thickened, strain if necessary, add soya sauce, seasoning to taste then pour into  casserole.  Add cinnamon stick. Replace lid and place in oven. Cook for 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender. Skim off any fat. Check seasoning, add the prunes and replace in the oven for ten minutes.

Sprinkle with toasted pecans to serve, with creamy mash and braised red cabbage.