Recipe a month....

[curiouswombat]

brutti_ma_buoni said one of her aims this year is to try a new recipe each month from a recipe book she already owns.

Today I joined in and cooked Spiced Braised Venison with Chilli and Chocolate from one of the BBC Good Food Magazines that were my birthday present at the end of 2012.

D-d and I have now eaten (S2C is in bed - he'll get his later), and both agree that this is absolutely gorgeous. Also that it would work just as well with beef if you would prefer.



For 6 portions.

Ingredients;

3Tbs vegetable oil
1.5kg diced stewing venison
1 onion roughly chopped
3 large carrots roughly chopped
1tbspn cumin seeds
1 teaspn ground coriander
large pinch chilli powder*
Small cinnamon stick
1 red chilli, whole*
1 heaped tbspn plain flour
500ml red wine
300ml beef stock
400gm can chopped tomatoes
large sprig thyme
2 bay leaves
2 ox dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)

* We like chilli - I substituted a dessertspoon of chilli paste.


Method;

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas mark 4.
2. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the meat in batches.
3. Add the vegetables to the pan and brown lightly then stir in the spices, chilli, and flour and cook for a few minutes.
4. Pour in the wine, tomatoes and stock, stir, add the herbs and the browned meat, then bring to the simmer.
5. Cover with the lid and put in the oven for 90 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for another hour until the meat is really tender.
6. Remove from the oven, let it cool for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir in the chocolate until it has melted.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.


They are very generous portions - there will certainly be plenty for tomorrow. It would be very good with a pastry lid as a pie.

Comments

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

It looked very promising until the tomatoes.

[sparrow2000.livejournal.com]

Oh this sounds lovely, I'll definitely have to try it. I love vension. We also get a lot of bison over here, which is also very lean, so I'm thinking this recipe would work for bison as well.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

There is no sign of them in the finished product, which is why I can give it to S2C and he'll eat it - but obviously not suitable for anyone with an allergy. On the other hand, a bit more carrot and onion for bulk, and a drop more wine or stock, and it would probably work anyway.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It really is good (I'm just thinking of a small amount as supper...) - and would certainly work with bison I would reckon.

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

That sounds very good indeed.

And I suppose has the sad side effect of leaving you with some spare chocolate that needs using up. Oh dear.

[hobbituk.livejournal.com]

Sounds lovely - I'm going to try a sweet potato and cheese soup tomorrow night...

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Not suitable for phobics though! I question every dark sauce (and a lot of light ones). Yes, I am a nightmare.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Is venison something you can commonly find in a grocery store? Because it isn't here.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I see the tomatoes aren't visible when finished otherwise Manolo wouldn't touch it. I'd make it with beef because we can't get venison easily here but it does sound really yummy!

[estelcontar1.livejournal.com]

It sounds totally scrumptious, and I mean to try it. Will have to use beef though, as wouldn't be able to lay my hands on venison for love or money.

[just-ann-now.livejournal.com]

Ooooo....I have some goat stew meat I got for Christmas (from my farming daughter; a friend had meat goats pasturing there all summer) and I bet this would be good. I was going to do goat curry but Mr Marwalk's not a big fan of chili. Thanks for posting this!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I always just class you as 'highly allergic'.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I have 50gm - woe, woe, and thrice woe.

Of course it would just keep until next time I make chilli.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Oh - that sounds good. If it turns out OK I would happily give it a go.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Yes - both our supermarkets sell it. It is a bit more expensive than beef - but this was Sunday dinner...

It is also very lean, with very little waste.

The recipe would be absolutely fine with beef, D-d and I both think.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

They totally disappear - and Manolo is clearly a man after S2C's heart!

D-d and I both reckon it would work perfectly with beef - and would certainly work with a fairly cheap cut as it cooks for so long.

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

Nah, everyone knows chocolate doesn't keep. Or at least, it's never in the cupboard where you left it.

[jay-of-lasgalen.livejournal.com]

Mmm, that does sound good! The new recipe aim is a great idea - I find it hard to think what to make for supper, yet I own dozens of recipe books!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It would work fine with beef, we both thought. The meat becomes beautifully tender without drying out at all.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Oh yes - I would think it would be good with goat. Even with the spoonful of chilli paste it was not 'hot' - but very, very tasty.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

People take allergics more seriously.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

It's not always more expensive in Tesco. Sometimes I buy it as a cheaper alternative.

[hobbituk.livejournal.com]

I've not seen a recipe with sweet potato before - and I have some in the cupboard! Also it calls for blue cheese (and I have some from New Year's that won't last much longer).

I'll be sure to review and show a picture!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is lovely. And really good as, once in the oven, you can leave it for a while and do something else!

Making something new from one of those books once a month seems quite achievable - I'm going to try to keep it up.

[kathyh]

I spotted that recipe in the BBC Good Food magazine too. It sounds delicious but I have to treat chilli with caution. We had another of their venison recipes this evening as I had some red cabbage and some frozen blackberries.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2411656/blackberry-braised-red-cabbage-with-venison

I didn't follow the recipe exactly as I prefer to braise red cabbage in the oven but we both enjoyed it.