Braised venison with butter beans
This wonderful, rich venison stew make a perfect warming family dinner, as long as you have the time!
Ingredients
For the braised venison
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1kg/2lb 4oz venison haunch, diced into 10cm/4in pieces
- 4 cooking chorizo sausages, cut into chunks
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 sticks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 fennel bulb, quartered
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 x 400g/14oz tin chopped tomatoes
- 500ml/18fl oz Malbec red wine
- 1 star anise
- 3 sticks rosemary
- 1 small bunch thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 500ml/18fl oz dark chicken stock or pork stock
For the butter beans
- 400g/14oz butter beans, soaked overnight in cold water then drained
- ½ onion, cut in half
- 1 garlic bulb, cut in half
- ½ fennel bulb, cut in half
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 tbsp olive oil
For the dressing
- 6 spring onions
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 2 whole red chillies
- 1 small bunch oregano
- 1 small bunch thyme
- 1 small bunch basil
- 1 small bunch flatleaf parsley
- 30ml/1fl oz olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- red wine vinegar, to taste
Method
Heat a large casserole over a medium high heat. Add the oil, the add the venison and chorizo and fry until nicely coloured all over. Remove and drain any excess fat on kitchen towel.
Add the vegetables to the pan and fry until coloured all over, then add the tomato purée and tinned tomatoes. Reduce by half, then add the wine and repeat.
Tip the meat and the herbs into the pan and cover with the stock. Simmer for 2–3 hours with a lid on.
Combine the butter beans with the onion, garlic, fennel and aromatics in a large pan. Cover with 1 litre/1¾ pints of water and simmer for about 2 hours, skimming scum from the top often. When the beans are cooked, drain them and reserve the cooked vegetables. Chop the vegetables roughly and stir them back through the beans, along with the olive oil.
Take a dry pan and char the spring onions, lemon zest, chilli and herbs together until blackened. Finely chop the charred ingredients and mix with the rest of the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
To serve, reduce the venison sauce if needed, then spoon into a bowl with the braised venison. Add some butter beans and spoon over some of the dressing.
