I remember as a young child spending much time at a small holiday cottage owned by my aunt in the north of Scotland. We used to roam the surrounding hills and countryside, playing and fishing in the lochs (lakes) and burns (small streams) and have a wonderful time - but this was not possible when the deer hunting season was on. In the Autumn of each year, the estate on which the cottage was situated would close off large parts of the land to the general public at large for the hunters - who paid a fortune for the privilege - to try and bag their stag.
I think what shocked me most about this was when a gamekeeper once explained to us that the only prize the hunter got for his "kill" was the stag's head. The rest of the carcass was collected by helicopter and taken away to be processed for export overseas, chiefly in that particular case to Germany. It appeared that there was no money to be made in venison meat in the UK on a large commercial scale and that export was the only viable option. Farmed venison meat was available at the estate shop for those interested in sampling it.
This is a memory which will always stick with me, especially as venison is one of my favourite meats. I have cooked it and sampled it in many different ways, never yet disappointed. I hope here to share some of my greatest success stories in preparing this wonderful, tender and healthy meat.
Venison and Red Wine Casserole
Casseroling venison is an extremely popular manner in which to cook it. The dish is reasonably quick to prepare and can simply be placed in the oven and left to cook virtually unattended.
For this recipe you will require:
2lb diced venison
2 large onions, roughly chopped or sliced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1lb small new potatoes (unpeeled)
1 pint of chicken stock
1/2 pint of red wine
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp plain flour
Salt and pepper
Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees celsius/325 degrees fahrenheit/gas mark 3. Put the flour in a large bowl and add the venison, stirring well to ensure it is all coated. Gently heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and add the meat to brown. Remove the meat and add the onions and garlic. Gently cook for about ten minutes until the onions start to brown. Add the stock, the wine, the thyme and the venison and bring to the boil. Transfer to a large casserole dish and to the oven for about two hours. Add the potatoes and carrot and cook for a further half hour. Season only at this stage as putting salt on red meat prior to or during cooking draws out the natural juices and can make it tough. I particularly enjoy this stew served with chunks of crusty bread.
Venison Steak
Just like beef, venison steaks should be cooked very quickly at a high temperature. Heat a griddle pan until it is smoking hot, then lightly oil the steak with sunflower oil - never the pan! - and cook for about three minutes each side. Remove from the heat and keep warm either in the oven or by covering with foil on a plate for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the steak to relax. Serve with boiled potatoes and the vegetable of your choice.
The above are the two most common recipes I use when cooking venison but there are a great many more delicious ones available. In modern times, all that is required is a cursory search engine enquiry to find all sorts of tasty ways in which we can prepare and enjoy this delicious and gamey meat.