Venison Casserole
This casserole is a rustic game dish with hints of sweet and sour rowanberry jelly and thyme. It is great as an everyday meal and simple to make, especially when you are cooking for many.
Ingredients
|
240 g
Thinly sliced venison fillets
|
|
|---|---|
|
Butter and rapeseed oil
|
|
|
200 ml
Sour cream, 13%
|
|
|
1 tsp
Chinese soy sauce
|
|
|
1½ tsp
Dried thyme
|
|
|
1 dice
Stock
|
|
|
3 tbsp
Rowanberry jelly
|
|
|
Fresh thyme
|
|
|
750 g
Potatoes
|
Instructions
Venison Casserole
How do I give my venison casserole more flavour?
An extra bouillon cube can boost the flavour of your stew, just keep an eye on the added salt, since bullion is usually quite salty. Another great addition is red wine. Juniper berries is also a classic addition to venison stews.
How long should you simmer the casserole?
Because this recipe uses thinly sliced, tender venison as its star ingredient, it doesn’t need more than a quick browning and five-minute simmer in the sauce. If you have chosen a tougher, thicker, or larger cut, it will need to simmer for longer before it reaches that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
Should you make venison casserole the day before?
If you have the time to plan ahead, then absolutely yes. Left in the refrigerator overnight, the flavours of this casserole will meld and become more mellow and umami.
A winter favourite based on a French classic
This recipe is a rich, savoury, meat-and-vegetable dish that is reminiscent of French ragoût from the late 1600s. Using wafer-thin slices of game meat, it comes together in less than 30 minutes, making it your new favourite for quick-and-easy, oh-so-satisfying, and warming winter dinners.
The origins of ragoût
Ragoût is a rich stew which is created by slow-cooking meat and vegetables on a low heat. The name dates to the late 1600s and is derived from the Old French ‘ragoûter’ meaning ‘to awaken the appetite’. Legend has it that French soldiers carried the dish and the word to Italy where, over the course of a few hundred years, it morphed into ragù—an Italian meat-based sauce to eat with pasta, of which Bolognese is perhaps the most famous example.
Marvellous serving tips
This hearty dish goes well with an equally hearty serving of boiled or mashed potatoes. Steamed rice is also a great alternative, especially good for soaking up all the juicy, gravy goodness. Sprinkle a touch of chopped fresh parsley on top for colour and a fresh bite.
The perfect dish to feed a crowd
Like all casseroles, venison is perfect for batch cooking, especially when inexpensive root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and potatoes are added to the mix. This recipe also stands up to freezing, so you can either cook a large batch ahead of time to feed your guests or freeze any leftovers. Simply defrost and heat through.
Tips on recipe variations
In addition to venison, this casserole is equally delicious made with beef, pork, lamb, lentils, haricots, or other types of legumes. For the same cooking time, choose a cut that can be sliced as thinly as the venison in this recipe. Alternatively, transform it into a low-and-slow stew by swapping the venison for a lean and somewhat tough cut of meat, and choosing vegetables that can stand up to prolonged cooking like beans, parsnips, carrots, and potatoes.
