Venison casserole with quince compote recipe

By Tom Norrington-Davies

A wonderful dish for the Christmas and New Year period. If venison is not your thing, this works just as well with beef or lamb.

1kg venison shoulder, roughly cut into large chunks (from your butcher)
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 red onions, quartered
2 red peppers, deseeded and thickly sliced
300ml red wine
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 bay leaf
750ml fresh chicken stock, hot
Spiced quince compote (see recipe) or shop-bought quince conserve (we like Tiptree), to serve

1. Season the venison and toss in the flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter with the oil in a large, deep saucepan or flameproof casserole (one with a lid) over a high heat. Add the meat, in batches, and brown well all over. Set aside on a plate.
2. Add the onions and peppers to the pan and fry briskly for 5 minutes. It’s OK if they catch a little. Next, add the wine, tomato purée and bay leaf. Allow the liquid to come to the boil, then return the meat to the pan with the stock. Cover and simmer gently for at least 2-21/2 hours, until the meat is very tender. Check from time to time to make sure it isn’t catching on the bottom of the pan or drying out. You can always add more stock if you need to. Season to taste.
3. Fold in the remaining tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of the syrup from the quince compote (or the quince conserve, if using). Serve garnished with the compote fruit slices or fold the fruit into the casserole, if you prefer.