Ingredients:
800g/2lb of trimmed venison shoulder (diced)
1 large onion (peeled and sliced)
2 large carrots (peeled and diced)
3 pints/60flozs of game or beef stock
4 sticks of celery (washed and diced)
3 rashers smoked Yorkshire bacon (chopped up neatly)
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 cloves of garlic (peeled and diced)
1 leek (washed and diced)
2 large glasses of wine
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme (leaves only, discard the stalks)
Thickening mix (2 tablespoons cornflour & 2 tablespoons of water) add small amounts until casserole has thickened
Method
1. Using a large frying pan fry the onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Then add the venison and chopped up smoked bacon and fry until there is some colour on the meat.
2. Next add the tomato puree, leeks and red wine. Reduce the wine until it has almost gone them add the stock, bay leaves and thyme leaves.
3. Put the mix into a casserole dish and put the lid on. Cook in the oven at 165�c for 1.5 hours.
4. If meat is tender and the casserole looks rich and sticky then the dish is ready to be served (if the meat needs a little longer then leave it in for another half an hour).
5. To serve - why not cook up some red cabbage or some winter root vegetables and serve with mash potatoes. Alternatively, Colcannon mash, a classic Irish dish would
complement the casserole perfectly (spring onion, leeks and cabbage mixed with mash potatoes)