New Season Venison, Oyster & Sloe Gin Casserole with Watercress Mash Recipe

Tip: Slow cook your meat in this recipe so that it has time to soak up all the flavours and become really tender.

The long summer evenings are beginning to draw to a close end but worry not, with the advent of autumn some truly wonderful foods come into season! It’s a great time for experimenting in the kitchen and trying out new and exciting recipes that are packed with flavour and sure to get your taste buds tingling!!

With that in mind our chefs have highlighted in this dish are new season venison, oysters, peppery watercress and sloe. It is the beginning of slower cooked, warming dishes as the year winds down.

You’re going to need a few bits and bobs to prepare this scrumptious meal……

Equipment you will need:

• Heavy cast iron pan
• Ovenproof casserole dish
• 3 litre (minimum) pot
• Tongs, Wooden Spoon, Spatula

Ingredients:

For the casserole:

• 750g Venison haunch, 1-inch dice
• 20g sunflower oil
• 100g plain flour
• 10g coarse sea salt
• 2g coarse black pepper
• 4g juniper berries
• 300g carrots, coarse cut
• 300g parsnips, coarse cut
• 200g celery, coarse cut
• 250g onions, coarse cut
• 16g garlic roughly chopped
• 2g bay leaves
• 5g fresh rosemary, chopped
• 3g fresh thyme, chopped
• 100g fresh, shucked oysters
• 300g sloe gin
• 600ml excellent quality venison or game stock

For the mash:

• 1kg rooster potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 100g salted butter
• 150g single cream
• 12g coarse sea salt
• 2g coarse black pepper
• 80g watercress, washed, roughly chopped

Method:

Place a heavy bottomed pan on a high heat until smoking, while it is heating toss the venison chunks in seasoned flour and dust off the excess. Add a small amount of oil to the pan and sear the venison on all sides. It is important to do this in small batches so as to not crowd the pan and boil the meat instead of getting a nice brown crust. Tip the meat into the casserole pot as they are done.

Add the last of the oil and toss in all the remaining ingredients except for the stock, oysters and gin. Cook these until the onions start to become translucent and tip on top of the meat.

Place the pan back on the heat and pour in the gin and reduce by 1/3, add the stock and reduce by 1/3. Pour on top of the meat, mix all the ingredients together, place the oysters on top, put the lid on and pop into a preheated oven at 150C for 4hrs. The oysters will melt and just add a seasoning to the casserole in much the same way that anchovies are often paired with lamb.

During the last 30mins of cook time, boil the potatoes until fork tender, drain and allow to steam dry for 5mins, place the pan back on the hob and heat the milk, cream and seasoning before adding back the potatoes, mash to a smooth consistency.

Serve with buttered garlic kale (optional).

Happy Cooking!

Well that sounds pretty tasty alright!! We hope you have fun trying it out. Remember to take your time and let it cook away nicely in the oven while you put your feet up for a few hours….

If you have any ideas in mind, please send us a message and we’ll get our chefs to come up with the prefect recipe for you.