Preparing for Christmas
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Up your game this winter
If you’re game, then cooking with goose, guinea fowl, venison, pheasant and rabbit will give you a wide variety of wonderfully warming winter dishes.
Local butchers across our patch will have the very best seasonal meat, with many supplied by local shoots who will deliver pheasant, grouse, guinea fowl and partridge.
And if you’re stuck for ideas on what to do with game, they will also have the knowledge and experience to advise you on the best ways to turn your seasonal meats into hearty casseroles, pies and stews.
Venison in particular benefits from long, slow cooking and is perfect for a hearty winter casserole that can simmer away in the oven for a couple of hours while you head off on a winter walk – just think of the delicious aromas that will be waiting for you when you get back!
Venison casserole
1. Brown 1kg of diced, floured venison in a casserole dish in batches – don’t crowd the pan, or it will steam rather than sear!
2. Remove from the pan and soften a couple of chopped onions, with a little salt to release the juices.
3. Add a couple of cloves of chopped garlic and cook for a few moments, being careful not to let it burn.
4. Return the venison and its juices back to the pan along with a couple of large, chopped carrots, three sticks of chopped celery, a few crushed juniper berries, a sprig of rosemary, and a bay leaf.
5. Pour over 450ml good red wine and 450 ml beef stock, and add 1 heaped tbsp of redcurrant jelly. Bring to the boil, then cover and put in the oven for a couple of hours.
6. When it’s ready, remove and check the seasoning, and serve with creamy mash.
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