Venison Stew with mascarpone polenta
Serves 8 (main course)
Step 1: Venison Stew
Ingredients:
- 400gms bacon (finely chopped)
- 1 1/2 - 2 kg Venison leg or shoulder meat (casserole
dice)
- 3 large onions (chunky dice)
- 3 medium carrots (chunky dice)
- 3 stalks celery (chunky dice)
- 12 x garlic cloves (halved)
- 2 Tbl sage (finely chopped)
- 2 Tbl thyme (finely chopped)
- 2 Tbl rosemary (finely chopped)
- 2 to 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 cups red wine
- 1 cup Port
- 1/4 cup red currant jelly (or similar)
- 2 Ltr chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cup beef stock
- 30 gms butter
- 30 gms flour
- Salt and Pepper to season
Method:
Take a large heavy bottomed saucepan, and bring up to high heat. Add some cooking oil, then toss in the bacon and cook to golden brown. Remove and add the diced venison.
Again cook the venison in the rendered bacon fat until caramelised. Now add the chopped vegetables, herbs and bacon back in. Saute on medium heat stirring occasionally until the vege take on a little colour.
Add the wine and reduce for five minutes before adding the
chicken and beef stock.
Cook on low heat for a couple of hours or so until the venison is
soft to the bite and tender. Now carefully strain off the cooking
liquid from the venison and vegetables.
To thicken and finish the stew, take another saucepan and over
medium heat add the butter. Once melted whisk in the flour to form
a roux. Continuing to whisk, slowly pour in the cooking liquid to
create a beautiful smooth gravy.
Taste this and season with salt and pepper, before pouring it back
over the venison and vegetables.
This can be made a few days ahead and kept in the refrigerator or
frozen until required.
Step 2: Mascarpone Polenta
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 - 2 Ltr chicken stock
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 500gms fine polenta
- 1 cup mascarpone
- 1 cup cream
- 50gms parmesan (preferably freshly grated)
- Salt and Pepper to season
Method:
Take a largish saucepan and add about half of the chicken stock
and the garlic. Let this simmer away for about five minutes to let
the garlic infuse its flavor into the stock.
Use a whisk to begin with, as you add the polenta. Add in a steady
stream whisking continuously to eliminate lumps forming. As the
polenta thickens keep adding more stock until fully absorbed, and
it resembles a porridge like consistency. It should be smooth and
thick and not at all grainy.
Now fold in the mascarpone add the cream and grated parmesan,
season with salt and pepper.
Step 3. Plating and Serving
Ingredients:
- Mascarpone polenta
- Venison stew
- Freshly grated parmesan.
Method:
In hot bowl plates ladle out the creamy polenta, top with the stew and another grating of fresh parmesan. Serve immediately with warm fresh crusty bread, lashings of butter and a fresh green salad.
