Venison casserole

We get invaded by the family on Boxing Day so to avoid major stress most of the food is prepared in advance and frozen with just the reheat on the day. We always have one main dish as a casserole stew or tagine type and this year I have opted for venison, a real favourite and simple to make as you will see. Once the preparatory work is done the oven does the rest. I had hoped to get locally shot wild roe venison but too late as it was sold out so opted for Aldi venison which is good for store stuff. If you can get fresh do so.
There are plenty of things you can add but I have kept this traditional.
I have listed this for 10 servings but scale it down to suit. It is not baking so exact measurement not required. Worth making more as it freezes really well.

Ingredients:

• Plain flour.
• Olive oil.
• 1.4k diced venison. Shoulder good, haunch more expensive but stronger taste.
• Balsamic or red wine vinegar.
• Beef stock cube.
• 2 onions.
• 1/2 large turnip/swede.
• 3 large carrots.
• Redcurrant jelly.
• Worcester sauce.
• Tomato puree.
• Sprig rosemary, dried if no fresh.
• Salt & pepper.

Finely dice the turnip and carrots, quarter the onions and set aside.

In a large tupperware with lid (or plastic bag) put in flour and season with salt & pepper. Add some of the venison and put on the lid (unless you want your kitchen covered in flour), give it a good shake to coat the venison. I do this in small batches.

I use a Le Creuset solid oven pot. Add some oil to your hot pan and put in some of the venison to brown. Do this in small batches and do not crowd the pot or it will steam the meat instead of browning.

Remove when crusted on each side and repeat until all browned.

Add vinegar (or water) to deglaze the pan, scrape the crusty bits off the bottom but leave in pan (lots of flavour here).

Add some more oil, throw in the veg and stir for a couple of minutes. Toss in the venison.

Give a good mix and grate the stock cube over it all. Add salt & black pepper, worcester sauce, tomato paste, the jelly and the rosemary. Give it all a good stir to combine. Cover with water up to the level.

Cook at 150-180 for 2 hours but if you can give it a good stir every 40 minutes. The seasoned flour will create a good thick jus. At the end season again to taste if required. Then just eat with some mash and/or crusty bread to mop up the jus. Delicious. Or freeze.

Cheese and chive bread

I had made ham & lentil soup for the kids coming today but when out shopping this morning I forgot to buy some crusty bread. It was pouring so I was not heading out again. A quick look at my cookbooks and I found a Lorraine Pascale recipe for a ham, cheese and chive loaf. I had most of the ingredients, except the ham and mustard powder, so went with it anyway and it was a great success, well done Lorraine.

Dead easy to make, no yeast involved.

• 425g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 150 g mature cheddar plus another 10g ( I used parmesan but use the cheddar or whatever ).
• 1/2 bunch chopped chive
• Few twists black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika ( I use Santo Domingo, Pimenton de la Vera, Sweet)
• 1 tsp mustard powder ( I didn't have this so omitted)
• 6 slices of honey roast ham (again omitted)
• 200-225 water

Preheat oven to 200

Put all ingredients in a large bowl except water and extra cheese.

Mix well and add the water to make a dough. I needed to add the full 225 water.

Sprinkle some flour and roll into a ball.

Make 3 vertical slices and sprinkle over the 10g cheese.

Cook for 35 - 45 minutes.

Superb.

Salmon Pate

I have made this a couple of times now and it is good. The balance between poached and processed is your choice as some find too much smoked is too strong, as I say your choice. Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 uncooked fillets of salmon around 400-500g.
1 pack processed smoked salmon, plenty of flavour options, around 300g.
3 bay leaves.
4 spring onions.
2 gherkins.
6-8 berry capers if you can get them still on the stalk, if not double the quantity ordinary capers.
200g cream cheese.
Juice & rind of one lime.
Salt & pepper to taste.

• Poach the salmon fillets gently in water with the 3 bay leaves, can omit the bay. Gentle simmer for 5 minutes basting the fillets from time to time. Place on plate to cool.
• Rinse the capers/gherkins in fresh water & chop spring onions.
• In food processor blitz the gherkins, capers & onions.
• When cool add the poached salmon, half the smoked & half zest & lime juice. Pulse to your consistency, I like it coarser but if you want fine keep pulsing.
• Taste and add more smoked salmon & lime juice and zest as you like. Pulse again.
• Salt & pepper, final pulse.

Eat & enjoy.

Gingerbread

This is something I cannot live without, at least once a month this needs baking.

Ingredients:

• 6oz plain flour
• 1 level tsp baking soda
• 1 level tsp ground ginger
• 1 rounded tsp mixed spice
• 2oz brown sugar
• 2oz margarine
• 2oz treacle
• 1oz syrup
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/4 pint milk

Melt the margarine, treacle and syrup together. 

Add these to the beaten egg with the milk. 

Next add this mixture to the dry ingredients.

Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes at 350d/180/gas 4. Check after 45 minutes as cooking time varies from oven to oven.

Cool and enjoy with real butter only.

Freezes well.

Fruit Loaf

Another easy to bake family recipe. Great for your tea-break or nice when out for a walk and need some nutrition.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 4oz margarine
• 10oz sultanas
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice

Put all the ingredients in a pan and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Take off the heat and when cool add:

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup plain flour
• Add 1 beaten egg

Put into 2 x 1lb loaf tins.

Bake for 45-60 mins at 180. Check after 45 minutes as depends on your oven.

Cool and enjoy.

Freezes well.

Date & Walnut Loaf

An old tried and trusted family recipe, you can't go wrong. Brilliant comfort food and ideal for a snack when out in the great outdoors. Very moist and really tasty. As always with baking timings vary slightly from oven to oven.
Put into a bowl and soak for 15 minutes at least:

• 4oz dates
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coffee
• 1 cup boiling water

In another bowl:

• 6oz plain flour

Gently with fingers only rub in 2oz of soft margerine.

Now add;

•  pinch of salt
• 4oz sugar
• 2oz broken/chopped walnuts
• 1 egg

Now add all this to the date mix. Stir well, put in a 1lb loaf tin.

Bake for 45/60 minutes in the oven at 180/gas mark 4. Check after 45 minutes.

Allow to cool then eat. Freezes well.

Carrot & Parsnip with fresh ginger & honey soup

I know, I know I can hear you, not another soup. But yes it is another soup and I will tell you why. Soups are so tasty, so cheap, so easy to make and at this time of the year, November in Scotland, welcoming warmth. This is a lovely fresh tasting soup.

Ingredients:

These can be easily halved, doubled, trebled etc and freezes well so make as much as you want.

• Tablespoon of butter or olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 thumb of fresh ginger about an inch or so.
• 6-8 carrots
• 2-3 parsnips
• 1-2 Tbs pouring honey whatever kind you like.
• Half chicken stock cube.
• Seasoning
• Creme fraiche/plain yoghurt for decoration

This is so simple. If you have a food processor use this on the big blade to chop up the ingredients. If not a sharp knife will do.

Heat your pan and add the butter/oil.

Chop the onion and ginger finely and add to the pan. Add some salt to bring out the flavours. Stir everything around, put a lid on and simmer for about 10 minutes to soften the onions.

Peel the carrots and parsnips and chop or grate as you prefer. Add to the pan. I like to finely grate the stock cube over the vegetables. Drizzle over your honey and add salt and pepper. I use lots of pepper but less salt as I prefer to increase that at the end as required.

Add at least a litre of water and give everything a good stir and bring to the boil. Once boiling reduce to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. 

After that check and add more water if you want. It all depends on the texture you like at the end. I prefer soup to be runny but others like a smooth puree, its your call.

Simmer for another 20 minutes and that's it. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

I like to pour out half the soup and blitz this either in a processor or with a hand blender. If you want it more pureed blitz all of the soup.

If freezing, let it cool and do so now without adding the creme fraiche.

If serving add soup to your bowls, place some creme fraiche in the centre, sprinkle with chopped chives for added colour and taste and enjoy.

Another simple, easy and so tasty soup.