Finca Olcadia Merlot 2004

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Once considered the meat of kings, venison makes a mouthwatering casserole when cooked slowly with red wine and juniper berries. A little cream adds a touch of luxury.

Serves 6–8

Total time: 3¼ hours, plus overnight marinating
Cooking time: 2¾ hours

Ingredients

350ml red wine
4 tbsp brandy
8 tbsp olive oil
6 juniper berries, lightly crushed
1 onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
1.5kg venison shoulder, diced
150g prosciutto or smoked back bacon, chopped
320g shallots or baby onions, peeled
2 carrots, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
about 500ml strong beef or game stock
1 bouquet garni
2 heaped tbsp redcurrant jelly
4 tbsp single cream
300g chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

1. To make the marinade, put the wine, brandy, 4 tbsp oil, the juniper berries, onion, bay leaves and thyme sprigs into a large, non-metallic bowl. Add the venison, stir to combine, then cover and chill in the fridge overnight, stirring once or twice if you can.
2. Preheat the oven to 150ºC/Gas 2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat, then add the prosciutto or bacon and fry until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
3. Remove the venison from the marinade with a slotted spoon, reserving the marinade. Return the casserole dish to the heat and fry the venison in batches, over high heat until browned. Remove the meat from the dish and set aside.
4. Add 1 tbsp oil to the dish and fry the shallots or onions and carrots for 5–8 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic, then add the reserved marinade to the pan along with the venison and prosciutto.
5. Pour in enough stock to just cover the meat and add the bouquet garni. Cover and cook in oven for 2 hours, or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, fry the mushrooms in the remaining oil until softened and set aside.
6. Remove the dish from the oven, stir in the redcurrant jelly, cream and mushrooms, then cover and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Top tip

To make peeling shallots and baby onions easier, make a small cut in the skin at the top, then soak in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and peel.

Serving suggestion

This is great served with steamed potatoes and green beans.

Perfect partner

Quinta Espirito Santo 2007 - This powerful wine works well with the glorious rich flavours of this casserole.

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This is a wonderful savoury pie with a rich, meaty filling. Use a real ivy leaf as a pastry template for a dish that's so impressive your guests will think you've been working on it for days!

Serves 8

Total time: 3 hours, plus overnight chilling
Cooking time: 2¼ hours

Ingredients

75g dried wild mushrooms
150ml warm water
600g game casserole meat, or any boneless meat from pheasant, partridge, pigeon or duck, cut into bite-sized pieces
200g venison shoulder, cubed
2 tbsp seasoned flour
2 tbsp beef dripping
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
200g smoked bacon lardons
200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
200g vacuum-packed chestnuts
250ml chicken stock
225ml red wine
150ml ruby port
1 bouquet garni
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
flour, for dusting
350g ready-made puff pastry

1. Soak the wild mushrooms in the warm water, then drain and reserve. Strain the soaking water and reserve. Meanwhile, toss the game casserole meat and venison in seasoned flour. Melt the beef dripping in a large flameproof casserole dish, then add the floured meat, in batches, and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions, garlic and lardons and fry until lightly coloured. Add the chestnut mushrooms, wild mushrooms and chestnuts and fry for a further 5 minutes.
2. Add the stock, wine, port, reserved mushroom soaking water, bouquet garni, redcurrant jelly and meat. Bring to simmering point, cover and cook gently for about 1 hour, or until the meat is tender. Allow to cool, then place in the fridge to chill for 24 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/Gas 7. Transfer the meat mixture to a deep pie dish measuring about 30cm x 20cm. Place a pie funnel in the centre.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to make a lid - it should be about 3mm thick - and cut off a 2cm strip. Brush the top lip of the pie dish with water and press on the strip of pastry. Brush with water, then lift the remaining rolled pastry and lay it carefully over the pie dish. Press the edges to seal, make a hole in the centre around the pie funnel and trim away the excess pastry. For the glaze, beat together the egg and milk and brush over the surface.
5. Cut out some decorative shapes from the pastry trimmings and arrange these on the surface, if you wish, then glaze them. Put the pie in the oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot.

Top tip

You can now buy packs of different selections of ready-prepared game, or just use 800g cubed venison instead of a mixture of meats.

Perfect partner

Le Marronnier Pinot Noir 2006 - This smooth wine would make a weekend lunch of game pie really special.

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In this sweet-and-sour dish, duck is roasted and glazed with honey, soy sauce and ginger to give the spiced crisp skin of traditional Peking duck, then served in pancake rolls with a fruity sauce.

Serves 4

Total time: 2¾ hours, plus chilling
Cooking time: 2–2¼ hours

Ingredients

2.2kg ready-prepared Peking duckling or other whole duck
3 tbsp runny honey
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
100ml rice vinegar
3 tbsp five-spice paste
2 star anise
1 bunch spring onions
½ cucumber
16 ready-made Chinese pancakes
hoisin or plum sauce

1. Cut away the strings on the duck and remove and discard the giblets. Loosely wrap the bird in greaseproof paper and chill in the fridge until required, preferably overnight, to allow it to dry out – this makes it crisper when cooked.
2. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/Gas 7. Prick the skin of the duck all over with a fork. Make an incision with a sharp knife on the underside of the parson's nose (the tail end) and into the fat gland to release the fat. Place the bird on a wire rack in the sink. Pour a kettle of boiling water over the duck, empty out any water from the inside of the cavity and pat dry with kitchen paper. This opens up the duck's pores to release more fat.
3. Meanwhile, make the glaze by heating 500ml water in a large pan with the honey, soy sauce, ginger and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until reduced by half.
4. Rub the five-spice paste evenly inside the duck, then place the star anise in the cavity. Pour some cold water into the base of a large roasting tin and place a wire rack in the tin. Put the duck on the rack and sprinkle the skin with 1 tsp salt.
5. Roast the duck on the top shelf of the oven for 15 minutes, then brush the skin thoroughly with half the glaze. Roast for another 15 minutes, then brush with the remaining glaze. Return the duck to the oven and cook for 1–1¼ hours, reducing the oven temperature to 180ºC/Gas 4 after 15–20 minutes, or when the skin has turned a mahogany colour. If the skin becomes too dark, cover with foil. Check the duck is cooked by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh – the juices should run clear.
6. Shortly before serving, shred the spring onions and soak in iced water for 5–10 minutes to crisp. Cut the cucumber into 5cm batons. Warm the pancakes in a microwave on high for 20 seconds, or in a steamer over simmering water for 1 minute.
7. To serve, carve the duck into long, thin slices. Diners should spread a pancake with hoisin or plum sauce and pile on some duck, then add spring onions and cucumber and roll to enclose.

Top tip

To carve the duck, first cut the breast meat away from the carcass, then cut through and remove the leg joint. Cut the breast meat into long, thin slices, then cut away the rest of the meat from the bone.

Perfect partner

Willy Willy Shiraz 2008 - This medium-bodied favourite is just the thing!

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Roast pheasant makes an elegant choice for a special-occasion lunch. This game roast has a succulent, nutty stuffing and is surprisingly easy to make.

Serves 4

Total time: 1½ hours
Cooking time: 60–70 mins

Ingredients

15g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
3 rashers dry-cure streaky bacon, chopped
100g pork sausage meat
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
100g pistachio nuts, shelled and chopped
100g seedless grapes, halved
2 oven-ready pheasants (about 500g each)
50g butter, softened
6 rashers dry-cure streaky bacon, cut in half

1. To make the stuffing, heat the butter in a saucepan and gently fry the onion and leek for 8 minutes, or until softened. Add the chopped bacon and cook for another 3–4 minutes, until crisp. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool, then stir in the sausage meat, herbs, pistachios and grapes. Mix well and season.
2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Gas 6. Divide the stuffing between the cavities of the pheasants. Season the outside of the birds and smear with the butter. Drape the bacon rashers over the birds and place them on a piece of foil that is large enough to enclose both pheasants. Make a parcel by bringing up the edges of the foil, leaving a hole at the top to allow steam to escape. Place the foil parcel in a deep dish and pour 100ml water into the dish to help keep the birds moist.
3. Roast in the oven for 45–55 minutes, basting every 20 minutes. If you want to crisp up the bacon and brown the pheasants, open the foil parcels for the last 15 minutes. To check they are cooked, pierce the birds with a sharp knife; the juices should run clear. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Serve half a pheasant per person.

Top tip

Seedless grapes are quick to prepare, but for a really succulent stuffing use large seeded grapes and peel, halve and seed them. To peel, cover briefly with boiling water, drain and peel while still warm. Remove the seeds with the point of a sharp knife.

Perfect partner

Bodegas Primicia Reserva 2004 - Impress your guests by serving a stylish Rioja with this elegant roast.

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Pineapple juice adds a delicious sweetness that cuts through the richness of these game steaks, which are a delicious alternative to beef steaks.

Serves 4

Total time: 25 mins, plus marinating
Cooking time: 10 mins, plus resting

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pineapple juice
4 juniper berries, crushed
6 black peppercorns
2 strips orange zest
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 rosemary sprig
4 venison steaks, about 150g each
25g butter
roasted root vegetables, to serve

1. To make the marinade, place the oil, pineapple juice, juniper berries, peppercorns, orange zest, garlic and rosemary in a non-metallic bowl and mix together. Add the venison steaks and turn to coat well. Cover and chill for 3 hours.
2. Bring the venison back up to room temperature before cooking. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Lift the steaks from the marinade, season and place in the hot pan.
3. Depending on their thickness, cook for 3–5 minutes each side for medium-rare, or until cooked to your liking, basting with the pan juices. Set aside for a few minutes to rest on a warm plate, covered loosely with foil.
4. To serve, thickly slice each steak on the diagonal and spoon over the resting juices. Serve with roasted root vegetables.

Variation

A marinade tenderises and enhances the flavour of venison; it should include an acid liquid like lemon or tomato juice, vinegar or wine. You can replace the pineapple juice in this recipe with lemon or orange juice, or use a traditional mix of vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.

Perfect partner

La Tirela Amarone Classico 2006 - Serve up the special flavour of venison with this extravagantly flavoured classic.

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Layers of tender, rich game and forcemeat are packed inside a coat of bacon to make this delectable terrine. While cooling, it is pressed to create the best possible texture and easy slicing.

Serves 10

Total time: 2¼ hours, plus cooling and chilling
Cooking time: 1 hour 50 mins

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
225g duck fillets, cut into 1cm strips
320g pigeon breast fillets, cut into 1cm strips
160g pheasant breast fillets, cut into 1cm strips
3 bay leaves
250g streaky bacon rashers
100g white bread, crusts removed
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
3 tbsp chopped curly parsley
6 juniper berries, crushed
3 garlic cloves, crushed
450g pork sausage meat
250g duck or chicken livers
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp Madeira

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the duck fillets over high heat for 2–3 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the pan, set aside and brown the pigeon and pheasant fillets in batches. Season well and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/Gas 3. Grease a 900g loaf tin and arrange the bay leaves on the bottom. Stretch the bacon rashers with the back of a knife and line the tin with all but 3 of them, letting them overhang the sides.
3. Put the bread, thyme, parsley, juniper berries and garlic in a food processor and process to make crumbs. Add the sausage meat and livers and blend again. Add the egg and Madeira, season well and pulse briefly.
4. Spread some of this mixture in the tin and press in a few strips of game. Cover with more of the sausage mixture and continue to layer, finishing with the sausage mixture. Fold over the overhanging strips of bacon; patch, if necessary, with pieces of the reserved bacon and cover with foil. Place in a roasting tin and half-fill with boiling water. Cook for 1½ hours, or until the juices run clear when a skewer inserted into the centre is piping hot when removed.
5. Remove the terrine and roasting tin from the oven and lift the terrine out of the water. Weight it down with tin cans placed on top of the foil. Leave to cool for 2 hours, then put in the refrigerator, still with the weights on, for at least 2 hours. Once cool, cut into slices and serve.

Variation

You can vary the selection of game meat – try using the saddle and hindquarters of rabbit or hare, or lean strips of venison.

Perfect partner

Château Gachon Cuvée Saint Georges 2005 - This impressive terrine is best served up with a flourish and a flavoursome ripe red.