Wednesday, August 15, 2018

What’s on the MENU this week. Venison sausages in red wine with beans

Venison or game meat like springbok is relatively inexpensive in the winter when it is in season and the sausages are very reasonable. This lovely one pot dish is easy to make, does not take long and tastes delicious. You could spice it up with a little chilli if you want to; we added a splash or two of Tabasco. If you don’t have the redcurrant or cranberry jellies, add a spoonful of honey. You need the sweetness. This feeds four
1T= 1  Tablespoon   1t = 1 teaspoon

Ingredients
2 T olive oil - 400 g venison sausages - 1 medium onion, halved and sliced - 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped - 1 t fennel seeds , lightly crushed  -  4 heaped T  tomato passata  - 400 ml good chicken stock - 100 ml good Shiraz - 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced -  2 carrots, chopped into rings – 1 t fresh rosemary, chopped – 2 bay leaves -  Freshly ground black pepper - 1 t redcurrant jelly or cranberry sauce    400 g can cannellini (haricot) beans, drained  - ½ small bunch parsley, finely chopped – salt and pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a deep casserole with a lid. Add the sausages and cook, turning them, until they are light brown. Lift from the pan, and set aside. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5-8 minutes until softened and beginning to take on colour. Add the fennel seeds and garlic and allow them to toast for a minute or two. Add the Shiraz, turn up the heat and let it quickly reduce by half. Then add the tomato passata, rosemary and bay leaves. Stir and cook for three or four minutes to blend the flavours, and then add the stock. Add a good grating of black pepper, then cover and leave to cook for 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the sausages and the beans and cook until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. (If your sausages are not linked, cut them into 5 or 6 cm pieces). Sprinkle on the parsley and serve

This went perfectly with our Wine of the Week

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