Braised Venison Recipe

This dish is deep, indulgent, and full of flavor, making it the perfect match for a generous serving of creamy mashed potatoes to soak up the delicious sauce. It's also ideal for entertaining, as it slow-braises in the oven, allowing you to set it and forget it until your guests arrive. Just be sure to start the marinade the night before.

INGREDIENTS

Lidgate diced venison, 800g, 800g

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 level dessertspoon plain flour

salt and freshly milled black pepper

275ml Guinness

65 ml ruby port

250g pickled walnuts, drained and halved

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

10g butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

METHOD

The night before, you need to place the meat in a large bowl along with the bay leaf and thyme, then pour the porter and port all over it. Put a plate on top to keep the meat pushed down and leave in a cool place overnight.

Next day, when you are ready to cook the meat, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C). Then melt half the butter and oil in the casserole and heat gently. Drain the meat (reserving the liquid and herbs) and pat the meat dry with kitchen paper.

Now turn the heat to high and brown the meat to a rich brown on both sides. Now add the rest of the butter and oil to the casserole. As soon as it begins to foam, add the onion and brown this for about 8 minutes before adding the garlic and frying for another 2 minutes.

Now return all the meat into the casserole to join the onions. Stir in the flour to soak up the juices, then pour in the marinade (including the bay leaf and thyme), add the walnuts and season well.

As soon as it reaches a gentle simmer, put a lid on, then transfer the casserole to the middle shelf of the oven and forget all about it for 3 hours, by which time the meat will be tender and the sauce marvellously dark and rich.

Recipe originally found at: https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/easy-entertaining/venison-braised-in-guinness-and-port-with-pickled-walnuts