Wild Venison Potato Pie

Venison pie, topped with potato, and served with a mixed leaf salad. This dish used what was left of the venison stew made earlier (scroll back through the recipes). The potato topping was mixed with diced onion.

Cooked for at least an hour on the middle shelf of an oven preheated to around 190 deg C. I use a third party oven thermometer, so I know what the temperature of the oven actually is. But most ovens vary from what the dials say. So watch progress carefully (good advice in all cases).  Can be eaten hot or cold. Good with mustard. 

 

Venison Stew, with Root Vegetables

A simple winter stew made with diced deer meat and an assortment of root vegetables (parsnip, carrot, turnip & onion for the stew itself, and served with semi-skinned potatoes). The venison was cooked for at least half an hour until most of the moisture in the meat had evaporated, and browned in the sunflower oil. 

Then decanted into a pot of boiling salted water, and simmered under glass for an hour. 

After that, I added the diced root vegetables to the pot, and cooked them for another forty-five minutes, after which I mashed the vegetables (the venison will survive this!). Simmered again for another quarter hour or so, before serving. 

No added herbs, stock or spices, though rosemary would be an appropriate choice. Cornflower or Bisto could be used if you prefer a thicker gravy. Delicious! Sourced via Sainsbury's. 

 

Venison Burger with Potatoes and Lettuce Salad

I didn't make this burger (hard to get ground deer meat, unless you know someone who deals in this part of the business). Bought from Sainsbury's. Tasted not dissimilar to a burger made with beef, but the packaging said the burgers were 90% venison. I'm familiar with deer meat, so the fact that the burgers don't taste the way you might imagine, is puzzling. 

I also bought venison fillets on the same supermarket trip, and these clearly are deer meat. They should be fine.

The burgers were cooked on the middle shelf of an oven heated to 200 deg C for between 22 to 27 minutes, turning the burgers a couple of times.  Something to watch occasionally during the process. 

Served with salted boiled potato, and a lettuce salad. Dressed with white pepper, and a pinch of Tarragon. 

 

Venison Sausage Casserole

Some bargain venison sausages from Sainsbury's, used as the basis of a winter casserole.

I added diced green beans, onion, celery, batoned carrot, and spring onion to a casserole dish. The sausages were delinked, and pierced four times each. They were added on top of the layer of vegetables.

I made a gravy with onion granules and some ham stock. It was allowed to cool to room temperature, and then it was added to the casserole dish, just covering the vegetables. I drizzled some sunflower oil over the sausages, and then placed it in a preheated oven at 190 deg C. Allowed to cook for at least fifty minutes.

Served with lightly roasted maris piper potatoes. 

Venison Casserole with Chestnuts

A completely delicious dish, made with six venison sausages, each cut into four, and about 150g of halved chestnuts.

Other ingredients are:: chopped celery, two chopped red onions, two finely chopped chestnut mushrooms, tomato puree, beef stock, two large
splashes of red wine, a heaped dessert spoonful of cornmeal, and about 400g of water.

Begin the vegetable component of the dish first, by frying the red onion and the celery in half a dessert spoonful of sunflower oil, until the onion begins to brown. Stirring frequently. Then add the diced chestnuts, and the mushrooms. Cook for another seven minutes or so at a medium heat.

Add boiling water, the tomato puree, and the beef stock. Add cold water to a jug containing the cornmeal and stir together. Add the mix to the pan of vegetables. Stir continuously for at least three minutes.

Preheat the oven to around 190 deg C. Decant the casserole gravy into a ceramic lidded pot.

Cook the venison sausage pieces in half a dessert spoonful of sunflower oil, initially at a high heat, which should be considerably reduced. Cook the sausage pieces for at least twenty minutes, turning frequently until they are browned. Add the venison to the casserole, and place in the middle shelf of the oven. Cook for 100 minutes, lidded.

Now you have time to prepare the potato mash. Boil chopped potato for twenty minutes, then decant to a bowl with a slatted spoon. Add three spoonfuls of plain yoghurt, and half a teaspoonful of Dijon mustard. Mash together. Keep the mash hot in a bowl in a steamer.

Serve together, with or without pepper.

Venison Sausage in a Red Currant Sauce

Low fat venison and pork sausages in a red currant sauce, served with boiled swede and potato, and a parsley garnish.

The sauce was made with cornflour and water, with some pork stock, which was boiled until it thickened. The red currant component came from a jar of red currant jelly - two teaspoonfuls of it. The dish has a delicious combination of flavours.

Venison Sausage in a Red Currant Sauce

Venison Broth

Made with the potato leftovers from venison stovies. I added carrots and onions, later mashed, and vegetable stock, plus a couple of pinches of rosemary. Black pepper to taste.

Venison Broth