James Martin Venison Casserole Recipes

SUCCULENT BRAISED VENISON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Fry the vegetables in a little oil and butter in a heavy-based casserole for 4-5 mins until golden. Tip in the garlic and fry for a further min, then set aside.
• Put the venison into a plastic bag with seasoned flour and shake to coat. Add a little more oil and butter to the pan, then fry the venison over a high heat, stirring now and then, until well browned. Don't crowd the pan - cook in batches if necessary. Set aside with the vegetables.
• Add the redcurrant jelly and wine to the pan, and bring to the boil, scraping up all the bits that have stuck to the bottom. Pour in the stock, then add the thyme, bay leaf, meat and vegetables. Season if you like and bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to the oven for about 1½ hrs or until tender. Remove from the oven and check the seasoning.

ROAST VENISON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
• Place the venison bones in a large, deep roasting tray. Peel the onion, wash the carrot, then roughly chop with the celery, add to the tray with the flour and toss together.
• Roast for 1 hour, then use tongs to transfer everything to a big pot. Add enough boiling kettle water to the tray to scrape up the sticky goodness from the base, then pour that into the pot with the wine.
• Just cover with boiling water, then simmer on a low heat for 2 hours, skimming the surface and topping up the water occasionally, if needed.
• Carefully remove the bigger bones, then strain the sauce through a coarse sieve into a pan. Simmer on a low heat to the consistency of your liking, then turn the heat off.
• Get your meat out of the fridge and up to room temperature before you cook it.
• Crush the coffee beans and peppercorns in a pestle and mortar until fine, pick and pound in the rosemary leaves, then peel and crush in the garlic to make a rough paste.
• Finely grate in the orange zest and muddle in the balsamic. Cut each venison loin in half to give you four pieces, then rub the paste all over the meat.
• Divide the prosciutto between two large sheets of greaseproof paper, slightly overlapping the slices.
• Place two pieces of venison on top of each other on each one, spooning the meat so the thick and thin ends even each other out. Roll up in the prosciutto, tucking in the ends, tie with string at regular intervals to secure the prosciutto in place, then put on a roasting tray.
• To cook, drizzle the loins with a little oil, then roast in a preheated oven at 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Remove and rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring the sauce back up to a simmer, snap in the chocolate, add the butter, and whisk until smooth. Leave for a few minutes, then season to perfection.
• Remove the string from the venison, then carve and serve with the sauce. Delicious with celeriac mash and steamed seasonal greens.

VENISON CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
• On the hob, heat the olive oil and butter in a large lidded casserole dish. Add the onions and cook until softened, but not browned.
• Add the garlic, bacon and mushrooms and cook for a further minute.
• In a frying pan, brown the venison a handful at a time and add to the casserole. When all the meat is browned, add the red wine, water, stock cubes, redcurrant jelly and salt and pepper.
• Bring to the boil and stir well. Put the lid on the casserole and place in the middle of the oven - cook for 90 minutes.
• Remove from the oven. Make a paste with the cornflour and two tablespoons of water. Add as much of the paste to the casserole as is needed to thicken the sauce - add a little at a time if you are not sure how much you will need.
• Transfer the casserole to the hob, and, on a low heat, cook until the gravy has thickened - this will take about five minutes.
• Serve with new potatoes and wilted spinach. Decorate each plate with a sprig of rosemary or thyme and a bunch of fresh redcurrants.

JAMES MARTIN'S VENISON TERRINE RECIPE

Steps:

• Season the venison and chicken livers with salt and pepper, then heat a large frying pan and add the rapeseed oil. When the oil is hot, add the venison a few pieces at a time and seal on each side, then set aside. Repeat with the chicken livers, then - standing well back and protecting your forearms - pour in the armagnac and set it on fire with a match. When the flames die down, set aside.
• While these cool, use the bacon to line a 1kg loaf tin, overlapping the rashers in the base a little and leaving about 5cm of their lengths falling over the edge of the tin on each side. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
• Place the chicken breast into a food processor and blitz to a fine purée, then add the double cream and blitz to combine. Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then tip into a bowl and fold in the hazelnuts and cranberries.
• Scoop one-third of the chicken mixture into the prepared tin, then top with the venison. Layer on another one-third of the chicken mixture, then the tarragon, chicken livers and their juices. Finish with the remaining chicken mixture, then fold the bacon over the top to cover all the filling.
• Oil a piece of foil and place over the top of the tin, then seal tightly around the edges and place into a deep tray. Half fill the tray with hot water then place into the oven for 1.-1½ hours.
• To check that the terrine is cooked, insert a skewer into the centre, then run it against the inside of your wrist: if it's piping hot, it's cooked through. If not, return it to the oven and cook for another 10 minutes, then check again. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before placing in the fridge to chill.
• To serve, turn out of the mould and cut into slices. Serve with gherkins and some charred bread.