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Venison and Chestnut Casserole

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Venison and Chestnut Casserole

Enjoy the rich wintery flavours of red wine, chestnuts and tender venison in this hearty casserole. You can make it a day ahead, store in the fridge and simply reheat in a pan before serving with creamy mashed potato or boiled rice to absorb the juices.

Preparation time:
20 minutes
Cooking time:
75 minutes to 90 minutes
Total time:
1 hour 35 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes 60 minutes 50 minutes
Serves:
 4

Ingredients

  • 2 x 340g packs Waitrose British Diced Venison
  • 2 tsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 red onions, thinly sliced
  • 300ml red wine
  • 300ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 200g jar Sierra Rica Organic Cooked and Peeled Chestnuts
  • 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method

  1. Pat the venison dry with kitchen paper, then toss the pieces in the seasoned flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a flameproof casserole, then add the meat and fry over a high heat until sealed all over. Remove from the casserole with a slotted spoon. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then fry the onions over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until softened.
  2. Return the meat to the casserole with the wine, stock and bay leaves, then season and stir thoroughly. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1-1¼ hours or until the venison is tender.
  3. Stir in the chestnuts and redcurrant jelly and simmer until the jelly has melted. Season to taste, then sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Cook's tips

Get ahead: The casserole can be frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently in a pan for 10-15 minutes until piping hot.

Note: Wash hands, equipment and work surfaces thoroughly after handling raw meat.

Comments and images

Average user rating 5 stars out of 5

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PorageOats

PorageOats 04 January 2009 18:08

I see the formatting on my previous comment didn't work. Made this again from a boned haunch - really good. Another variation on the recipe which I generally use is a full bottle of red wine with 3 tablespoons of concentrated liquid chicken stock from a bottle - this makes the liquid fuller.

PorageOats

PorageOats 21 December 2008 20:31

I've made this great recipe several more times, and it attracted envious comments at work when I took it in as a packed lunch. Variations I've tried: Waitrose frozen chestnuts - just as good as those in a jar or vacuum pack Better quality venison from the top of the haunch rather than my normal pre-diced casserole cut - this was especially good Not dredging the vension in flour - my cooking partner thought the dredging wasn't really necessary - but the casserole liquid wasn't as good... Cooking chocolate (as per my earlier post) - a sine qua non Cranberries - I like these as an occasional addition but it means a thinner more acid liquid and a different style of casserole

PorageOats

PorageOats 30 November 2008 18:25

I've made this several times and it's excellent. I increase the vegetables by adding 250g chestnut mushroms and 3 carrots to the basic ingredients. I also remove a stage by adding the chestnuts and redcurrant jelly, plus 15g of Green & Black's cooking chocolate, at the same time as the stock. This doesn't seem to cause the mushrooms to disintegrate, although I do cook the casserole in the warming oven of an Aga rather than simmering on the hob.

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5 stars out of 5

Average user rating Based on 32 ratings

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Nutritional Info

Typical values per serving:
Energy 568.0kcal
Fat 198.8g

4.2% fat per serving

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This recipe was first published on Waitrose.com in December 2003