Recipe for venison casserole with prunes, armagnac and crispy chestnuts

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 300g shallots, peeled and sliced in half
• 8 whole medium garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 sticks celery, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 400g carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
• 8 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 4 bay leaves
• 8 juniper berries, crushed
• 700g venison haunch, diced
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 330ml beer
• 330ml game stock
• 100g prunes
• 4 tbsp Armagnac

Crispy chestnuts

• 180g whole cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp parsley, medium chopped

Method

1. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a heavy-based pan on a medium heat.
2. Add the shallots, garlic, celery, carrots, thyme, rosemary, sage, bay leaves and juniper berries, then season and stir often.
3. Sauté until the vegetables have slightly softened (about 10 minutes). Transfer into a casserole dish or slow cooker.
4. In the same pan on a medium heat pour in the rest of the oil along with the venison and plain flour. Season well and, stirring often, cook until the meat has browned.
5. Stir in the tomato purée and Dijon mustard then pour in the beer and stock. Bring to a simmer, add the prunes and 2 tablespoons of Armagnac then transfer into the casserole dish or slow cooker. Stir well.
6. To oven cook, place the lid on the casserole dish and cook at 160°C fan/Gas Mark 4 for 3-4 hours or until the venison is tender. For a slow cooker, cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
7. Once cooked, check the seasoning and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of Armagnac.

Crispy chestnuts

1. In a pan on a medium heat fry the chestnuts in the oil and butter for a couple of minutes or until they turn dark brown.
2. Take off the heat and stir through the parsley, scatter over the casserole and serve

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