Venison is an extremely versatile product and can be cooked in a variety of ways. Venison can be substituted with any red meat.

Below are some ideas for your Venison recipe:

Pot Roast Venison
Serves 4-6

2.5-3lb shoulder of venison rolled and tied
1oz butter
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
½ pint beef stock
Salt and black pepper
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly

Marinade
½ pint red wine
2 tbsp olive oil
Pared zest of 1 orange
Pared zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp crushed juniper berries
6 black peppercorns
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 large thyme sprig
1 large parsley sprig

In a large bowl combine the wine, oil, orange and lemon zests, juniper berries, black peppercorns, garlic, thyme and parsley. Turn the venison in the marinade, cover, and leave to marinate in the fridge, turning occasionally, for 2-3 days.

Lift the venison out of the marinade, straining and reserving the marinade, and pad dry. Melt the butter with the oil in a large flameproof casserole. When the butter is foaming, add the venison and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes or until well browned all over. Remove the venison from the casserole.

Lower the heat and add the onion, carrots and celery to the casserole. Cover and cook very gently for 10 minutes. Place the venison on top of the vegetables, add the stock, the strained marinade, and salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Cover with a layer of greaseproof paper and the casserole lid and cook in a preheated oven at 160oc (325of, Gas 3) for 21/2-3 hours until tender.

Lift out the venison and keep warm. Strain the liquid in the casserole, spoon off the fat, then return to the casserole dish. Add the redcurrant jelly, and boil for a few minutes until syrupy. Slice the venison and arrange on a warmed platter. Pour over the sauce and serve at once.

Hearty Venison Casserole
Serves 4

2lb stewing venison, cut into 1” cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
6 celery stalks, thickly sliced on the diagonal
5 oz chestnut mushrooms, quartered
1 oz plain flour
Salt and black pepper
4 oz small carrots
Chopped parsley to garnish

Marinade
¾ pint red wine
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp ground allspice
A few parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf

In a large bowl combine the red wine, oil, onion, allspice, parsley sprigs and bay leaf. Toss the venison cubes in the marinade to coat them thoroughly, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge, turning occasionally, for 2 days.

Lift the venison and onion out of the marinade and pad dry. Strain and reserve the marinade.

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole, add the venison and onion and cook for 3-5 minutes until well browned. Lift out and drain on paper towels.

Lower the heat, add the celery and mushrooms, and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually blend in the marinade and bring to a boil, stirring until thickened.

Return the venison, onion, celery, and mushrooms to the casserole and season to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and cook in a preheated over at 160oc (325of, Gas 3) for 11/2 hours.Add the carrots and return to the oven for 30 minutes or until the venison is tender. Serve at once, garnished with parsley.

Venison Steaks with Cranberry Cumberland Sauce
Serves 2

2 venison steaks, each 7-8 oz
1 tbsp groundnut oil
1 dtsp crushed peppercorns
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
Salt

Sauce
2 tbsp cranberry jelly
Zest and juice of ½ large orange
Zest and juice of ½ small lemon
1 tsp freshly grated root ginger
1 tsp mustard powder
3 tbsp port

Or use redcurrant jelly

Using a potato peeler, remove outer zest of orange and lemon. With a knife shred the zest into hair like strips about ½” long.

Place cranberry jelly, ginger, mustard, zest and squeezed orange and lemon juice in a saucepan over a medium heat. Bring it up to simmering point, whisking well. As soon as it begins to simmer turn the heat off, stir in the port and pour into a jug. This can be left for between 2 hours and 2 days!

Pad dry the venison. Sprinkle and press the crushed peppercorns firmly over both sides of each steak. Heat the oil in a frying pan. When the oil is smoking hot drop the steaks into the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side - for medium (4 minutes for rare and 6 minutes for well done).

Halfway through add the shallots and move them about the pan until brown at edges. 30 seconds before removing the steaks, pour in the sauce around the steaks (not over). Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the steaks with the sauce poured over, garnish with watercress, mini jacket potatoes and mixed-leaf salad.

Terrine of Venison with Juniper and Pistachio Nuts
Serves 10-12

1 lb minced venison
1 lb ready-minced pork
8 oz rindless smoked streaky bacon, cut into 1/8” strips
30 juniper berries, coarsely crushed
1 dstsp mixed peppercorns, coarsely crushed
4 oz ready-shelled pistachio nuts, cut in half
¼ tsp powdered mace
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp salt
6 fl oz dry white wine
1 fl oz brandy

2lb loaf tin (7 ½” x 4 ¾” x 3 ½” deep) or 3 pint terrine

Pre-heat oven to 150oc (300of, Gas 2)

Place venison, pork, bacon, juniper berries, peppercorns, pistachio nuts thyme, mace, salt, wine and brandy in a bowl. Thoroughly combine using fork or hands. Cover bowl with a cloth and leave to marinate for 2 hours.

Pack the mixture into the loaf tine or terrine, cover the surface with a double thickness of foil. Place in a roasting tin, on the middle shelf of the oven. Pour in about 1” boiling water and cook for 1 ¾ hours.

Remove from oven and leave (with foil on) for 30 minutes.

Place 2 x 1 lb weights on top (or something equivalent ie tins of tomatoes).

When terrine cold place in fridge (keep weights on) and leave overnight.

Remove from fridge an hour before serving. Serve with toast.

Venison Sausages Braised in Red Wine
Serves 2-3

1 lb venison sausages
1 dstsp olive oil
8 oz diced bacon or pancetta
1 large clove garlic, peeled
8 oz shallots, peeled
1 dstsp juniper berries, lightly crushed
10 fl oz red wine
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
6 oz medium-sized, open cap mushrooms
1 tsp plain flour
1 tsp mustard powder
1 oz soft butter
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
Salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a casserole. Brown the sausages evenly all over, taking care not to split the skins by turning them over too soon. Transfer to a plate.

In the casserole, brown the bacon with the garlic and shallots.

Return the sausages to the casserole, add wine, juniper berries, thyme and bay leaves. Season lightly.

Bring to a simmer, put on lid, turn the heat as low as possible and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add mushrooms, stirring them in well, and leave to cook gently for a further 20 minutes without the lid.

Remove sausages and vegetables to warm serving dish.

Mix flour, mustard powder and softened butter into a smooth paste and whisk this, a little at a time, into the casserole. Allow to bubble for a few minutes, then remove from the heat.

Return the sausages to the casserole, whisk in the redcurrant jelly.

Serve with a creamy mashed potato.