Drunken venison with cheese polenta
Venison with jam and juniper berries is an ideal choice for festive occasions. Cheese polenta as a side dish adds to the luxurious impression. However, if you are cooking for children, omit the alcohol, add a little more jam and pour a little more water over the meat.
Ingredients · Servings For 6 people
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg of venison
- 1 onion
- 1 piece carrot
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp juniper
- 1 tsp whole pepper
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 150 ml gin
- 50 g plum jam
- 200 ml tomato passata - puree
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 piece lemon
- 4 tbsp virgin olive oil
- 200 g polenta
- 150 g parmesan cheese
- 100g butter
Method · 3 h 50 min
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat and fry the meat in batches until browned on all sides. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Reduce the heat and add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, rosemary and a good pinch of salt to the loose pan. Fry gently until soft, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and crushed pepper and fry for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add the gin or pine nut jam, passata and 200ml water and return the meat to the pan. Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours, then remove and continue for another hour until the meat is just falling apart. Add more water if necessary.
- For the gremolata, mix the parsley, garlic, lemon zest and juice with the extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring 1 2 litres of water to the boil in a saucepan. Add the polenta and stir vigorously for 3-4 minutes. Set aside and stir in the cheese and butter. Serve with stewed venison sprinkled with gremolata. Recipe and photos taken from Olive Magazine.