Tom Cooks! Venison Two Ways

In Wednesday's On The Side, V was for venison. In what's now a Tom's Food! tradition (and it's a good time of year for such things) what we blether about on a Wednesday we cook on a Friday. Two recipes today. The first is a fairly simple stew. When it comes to such things, simple is relative. Many can be really dull affairs. Beef Bourgignon is a stew. Done well, using, say, a Tom Cooks! recipe, it is exquisite. My point is that not all stews are alike.

You can make this in advance. Many stews and soups taste better on day 2. Or freeze it for when you have a crowd coming round. My recipe, as ever is for a fairly small batch, but you can easily scale it up. My advice, from bitter experience, is to freeze it in batches. Then, if 6 people call off, you won't find yourself eating it for a week.

Cut the venison into decent sized chunks. You can cook this on the stove if you prefer. I can't really give cooking times as all meat is slightly different. You can use other cuts, but more expensive meat will need less time, which rather misses the point. Don't be tempted to omit the orange peel - it adds a little something.

A Good Venison Stew

Ingredients (serves 4)

500g shoulder of venison, cut into cubes of at least 2 - 3cm; 1 onion, finely diced; 1 carrot, finely diced; about 300ml red wine; same quantity of beef stock; peel (not zest) of half an orange, preferably cut in a single strip; 1 bay leaf; 3 sprigs of thyme (or ½ tsp dried thyme); 6 juniper berries, lightly crushed; oil; s & p.

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In a casserole or heavy oven proof pan brown the seasoned venison in stages and set to one side. In the same pan, brown the veg. Season with a little s & p. If using a stock cube or stock pot, ca' canny with the salt, as you'll be reducing the liquid later. Add the wine and bubble for a few minutes to get rid of the alcohol. Return the meat to the pan and add the stock, herbs, juniper and orange peel. You should have enough liquid to cover the meat. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook in a slow oven at about 160°C/Mark 2. After an hour, remove the orange peel and bay leaf. You are just looking for a hint of each, not an overpowering flavour. Cook until the meat is falling apart tender.

Strain off the liquid into a clean pan and fish out the thyme and juniper berries. Reduce the gravy to your desired consistency. Check the seasoning. Return the meat to the pan, heat through and serve.

Fillet of Venison with Port and Redcurrant Sauce

This is at the other end of the scale, using the most expensive cut. As cook, you don't want to be away from your guests for any length of time, but this is one of the quickest masterpieces you will ever cook. You could brown the meat before folk arrive, but don't be tempted to keep it warm for any length of time, as it will overcook. This MUST be served rare. If you would normally cook beef medium or medium rare and try to do that with venison loin, you will spoil it.

Ingredients

Venison fillet - allow about 150g per person, cut into large pieces; butter; olive oil; cooking port; redcurrant jelly; s & p.

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Season the venison on both sides with s & p. In a fairly hot pan, melt a generous dod of butter and add a little olive oil. When the butter has melted and is starting to sizzle, brown the meat on both sides then remove from the pan and set to one side on either side. Reduce the heat and cook until they are almost cooked as you like them. Please don't overcook. Remove the meat from the pan and set to one side. Pour in a good glug (about 100ml) of port and a tablespoon or two of redcurrant jelly. Bubble the mixture, stirring well until it has reduced to a fairly sticky glaze. Return the meat for a few seconds per side so it's nicely coated and warmed.