Venison Casserole

This tasty casserole can be made using beef or venison or a mixture of the two. I prefer venison and I buy 'casserole' venison which is already cut into large cubes so is very easy to use. There is almost no fat on the venison so no trimming is needed and therefore no waste.

1 orange
150g each no soak pitted prunes and apricots
125g raisins
200ml orange juice
150 ml dry sherry
900g venison
1 level tsp salt
1 level tsp black peppercorns
2 level tsp coriander seeds
450g onions
2 tbs oil
1/2 level tsp each of ground mace and ground cinnamon
pinch allspice
1 level tbs cornflour
450ml beef stock
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
Couscous to accompany

Finely grate the orange rind and squeeze the juice
Combine the orange juice and sherry add the dried fruit, cover and leave overnight to soak.
Cut the venison into large (4cm) cubes if necessary.
Season with the salt,
Crush the peppercorns and coriander seeds,
Slice the onions finely,
Heat the oil in a large heavy flameproof casserole and brown the meat in small batches until it has a a rich colour,
Add a little more oil if necessary and fry the onions gently until golden brown,
Put the meat back into the pan with the spices, orange rind and flour, cook whilst stirring for a few minutes,
Add the stock and combine and bring to the boil,
Add the vinegar,
Cover and cook in the oven at 150C for 1 hour,
Remove the casserole from the oven,
Drain the fruit from the liquid and put to one side,
Add the soaking liquid to the casserole, cover and return to the oven for another 1 hour or until the meat is very tender,
Add the reserved fruit, stir and return to the oven for 5 mins to heat the fruit.
This dish is best served with couscous but could be served with mashed potatoes.

This dish can be made in advance - just under cook it and reheat before serving, ideal for entertaining and a wonderful Christmas dish.

Potato Salad with Sundried Tomato and Basil dressing

1 kg new potatoes
6 pieces of sundried tomatoes in oil
large handful of fresh basil
1 clove garlic
150 ml bought mayonnaise
black pepper
salt

Boil the potatoes in the skins in salted water until tender.
Drain, and put to one side until cool enough to handle.
Skin the potatoes - the skins will lift off easily of the potatoes are still warm.
Cut into large bite sized pieces and put into mixing bowl.
Slice the sundried tomatoes thinly and add to the potatoes.
To make to dressing use a food processor or hand held blender and blend until smooth, the mayonaisse, the basil, the garlic, 4tbs of the oil from the jar of tomatoes, black pepper and some salt. Blend until smooth.
Mix together with the potatoes and sundried tomatoes, put into a serving dish and put in the fridge for several hours to allow the flavours to develop. Bring to room temperature before serving, as the flavour will be better, but don't leave in a warm place for too long.

These proportions are a rough guide, generally allow 150g - 200g potatoes per person and use a full jar of sundried tomatoes for anything up to 2kg of potatoes. Use as much basil as you have available.

Potato Ravioli, with Mushrooms, Garlic and anchovies

Here is my version for potato ravioli, based on a recipe of Paul Rankins, It sounds very plain and dull, but it is completely the opposite - try it.

50gm butter
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
450g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
175ml milk
20g dried mushrooms
3 tbs chopped chives
Salt and black pepper
Fresh pasta( made with 285g pasta flour or strong plain flour, 1/2tsp salt, 2 large beaten eggs, 1tbs olive oil, flour for dusting)
1 egg
6 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped

Heat 25g butter in a large frying pan,
Add the chopped onion and 1/3 of the garlic.
Sauté gently for about 3 mins.
Add the potatoes, half of the dried mushrooms and the milk and cover, cook over a very low heat until tender.
Mash the potato mixture with another knob of butter, add 2 tbs of chopped chives and season.
Put remaining chopped dried mushrooms into a bowl and cover with boiling water - leave to soak until later.
Make the pasta in a food processor. Then using a pasta machine roll out into thin sheets the width of the pasta machine.

Place one sheet of pasta on a flat surface, lightly floured, On one long side of the pasta place small spoonfulls of the potato mixture about 7.5 cm appart.
Brush the edges of the pasta and between the potato mixture with beaten egg, fold over the other half over the filling and press to seal around the potato mounds. Cut the ravioli into square and make sure the seals are closed by using the prongs of a fork to seal the edges of each pasta parcel.
Put to one side on a lightly floured tray.
Repeat with the remaining pasta.

To serve, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until the ravioli rises to the surface, this only takes 2 - 3 minutes.
In the meantime prepare the dressing.
In a small pan heat the remaining butter, add the remaining soaked dried mushrooms, cook for a few minutes and boil off the liquid until a small amount is remaining. Add the anchovies, the oil from the tin/jar, remaining chopped chives and the garlic and a little course ground black pepper and just heat through.

Drain the pasta and serve on warm plates, drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.

Tagliattelle with mussels

We enjoyed a supper of mussels, steamed simply with white wine, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. There were a few mussles left when we had eaten sufficient, so I took the remaining mussels out of their shells and saved them and the liquid which was left. The next day we enjoyed a lovely dish of homemade pasta and a simple mussel sauce.

We enjoyed a supper of mussels, steamed simply with white wine, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. There were a few mussels left when we had eaten sufficient, so I took the remaining mussels out of their shells and saved them and the liquid which was left. The next day we enjoyed a lovely dish of home-made pasta and a simple mussel sauce.

200g Pasta - tagliattelle either bought or home made
100g streaky bacon, cut into thin strips
small knob of butter
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200g spinach leaves or the green part of swiss chard cut into 1 cm strips
liquid from mussels
4 tbs creme fraiche / sour cream
mussels (just a cupful is sufficient)


Sauté the bacon gently in the butter
When the fat starts brown add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft but not brown
Add the spinach to the pan and allow to wilt.
Add the remaining juices and reduce rapidly
Stir in the cream
Add the mussels and allow to warm through gently.

Add the cooked pasta and toss together serve immediately.
Sufficient for two people

Welsh Amber Tart

4 eggs
75g sugar
grated rind 1/2 lemon, optional
2 heaped tablespoons marmalade
100g unsalted butter, melted
shortcrust pastry to line a 15cm/7inch flan dish, homemade or bought

Bake the pastry case at 200C for 10 - 15 mins, until set.
If using a foil pastry case put it onto a baking tray first so that it is easier to move in and out of the oven, and avoids the pastry from cracking.

Beat the eggs, sugar lemon rind and marmalade together.
Whisk in the melted butter.
Pour this mixture into the warm pastry case and return to the oven and bake at 190C for another 20 mins.
Serve warm or cold

Toasted Bulghur Wheat Salad

3/4 cup of Bulgar wheat
1 1/2 cups of hot vegetable stock (a stock cube dissolved in hot water)
Good seasoning of black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs mint sauce (if possible use fresh mint sauce from Salisbury's)
1/2 cucumber diced
4 spring onions
2 tomatoes chopped
1/3 cup oil
2 tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic

Put the Bulgar wheat into a dry frying pan, stir over a gentle heat until lightly browned, don't for get to keep stirring and don't walk away and leave it - it burns very quickly!
Turn off the heat and carefully pour over the hot stock with the pepper and salt.
Stir until combined and leave for 20 mins for the stock to be absorbed.
Add the onions, cucumber and tomato.
Blend the oil lemon juice and garlic together until smooth and add pour over the salad, toss until combined.
If you have fresh parsley add a good handful of chopped parsley for extra flavour and colour.

Grapefruit and Spinach Salad

Small bag of salad spinach (320g)
2 red grapefruit
Parmesan cheese either in a piece or flakes

Dressing
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/3 cup olive or sunflower oil
1/2 course ground pepper
1 clove of garlic

Using a serrated knife cut the top and bottom off the grapefruit then cut off the rest of the peel and all white pith. then cut out the segments. Cut over a bowl to catch the juices.
Mix the spinach leaves with the grapefruit.
Put all the dressing ingredients into a container with the juice of the grapefruit and using a had held blender (or food processor) puree until everything is incorporated.
Pour over the spinach and toss until all the leaves are coated.
Using a potato peeler flake the Parmesan cheese over the top of the salad.