Slow-cooked Venison Ragout

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This is probably the last recipe I'm going to post this year, but I think it's also one of the best. I wish the picture could do the dish justice, but brown food really doesn't photograph all that well, especially on a dark winter evening with crap kitchen lighting.



Nevermind, I'll try to describe how good this was...

I was tempted to lick my plate clean.

I could have bathed in this.

As soon as it was finished I wanted to make it again.

I ate too much even though I still felt the after-effects of Christmas.

It was rich, dark, smooth, fall-apart tender with red currant sweetness, bacon saltiness and mushroom earthiness.

Slow-cooked Venison Ragout (serves 4-6)

vegetable oil for frying
1kg venison, cubed
250g shiitake mushrooms, cut in half
2 shallots, chopped finely
4 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped finely (or pancetta)
2 tbsp flour
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 pint ale
1/2 pint beef stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcester sauce
4tbsp red currant jelly
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 160C/Gas 3.

Heat the oil in a heavy based oven-proof pan and fry the venison in batches to seal and brown on all sides. Set aside.

In the same pan fry the bacon for a couple of minutes, then shallots and mushrooms (adding a little more oil if needed) for another 4-5 minutes.

Add the garlic and thyme and fry for another minute or so.

Stir in the flour, making sure it coates everything, before returning the venison to the pan.

Stir and add the ale, stock, soy sauce, Worcester sauce, red currant jelly and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and place in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, until the venison is tender.

Check the seasoning and serve with gnocci, spaetzle or mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!