The Cottage Smallholder

Photo: Steak, venison and duck casserole

Our fridge freezer has been a bit of a trial for quite a few years now. It has problems coping with external high and low temperatures and generally performs best in the spring or autumn. So it was a bit of a surprise when we found the larder floor covered in dark water. We both assumed that the other had kicked the bacon curing pot.

The next day I investigated further and noticed red liquid dripping out of the freezer door. This is no super duper frost free machine. It has to be manually defrosted. If we forget to do this, the ice gradually builds up and finally begins to open the freezer door at the bottom with disastrous consequences.

I discovered that just the bottom drawer was affected. Faced with a lot of unfrozen berries – which were set aside for wine – and quite a bit of meat I made this unusual casserole in the slow cooker.

The combination of meat was not a mixture that I would have instinctively chosen but the final result was an unexpected delight. The secret is to use a much smaller proportion of venison to duck and steak. Rich and delicious, this is a perfect recipe for a treat meal that can be cooked in advance. I froze the remaining portions in flat zip locked bags that can be gently reheated from frozen in a sauté pan. Used as a filling it would make great individual posh pies too.

Slow cooker chef: Steak, venison and duck au vin recipe

Ingredients

500g of braising steak chopped into 2 cm cubes
500g of duck breasts chopped roughly into 2 cm cubes (leave the skin on)
250g of venison chopped roughly into 2 cm cubes (ignore any gristle as this will break down during the slow cooking)
4 tablespoons of plain seasoned flour
350g of skinned and chopped carrots
100g of chopped red onion
1 stick of celery or I level teaspoon of dried celery
500ml of red wine
300ml-500ml of stock made with boiling water and two tsp of vegetable stock powder
1 tsp of garlic granules or one chubby clove of garlic chopped fine
Half a tsp of dried savoury or thyme

At the end
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp of corn flour

Method:

Prepare the meat and roll it in seasoned flour. Put the meat into the slow cooker. Add the vegetables, herbs and red wine and stir well. Add enough hot stock to cover the meat and vegetables so that they are just floating.

Switch the slow cooker to high and when the mixture starts to bubble (this usually takes an hour) turn it to low for three hours. Test the meat for tenderness and continue to cook on low, testing every half hour until the meat is cooked. Mine took four hours from the stage of switching to low.

When the meat and vegetables are tender, strain of the juices leaving the meat and vegetables in a warm place. The slow cooker pot with the lid on is perfect.

Skim of the fat – I use a Jack Sprat or Fat and Lean gravy boat *. Add a little of the juices to two teaspoons of corn flour and stir this mixture evenly through. Then reduce the juices, stirring every now and then until they have thickened. Pour the juices back over the meat and serve with baked potatoes and green peas or beans.

*Alternatively let the meat and juices stand in the fridge overnight. Remove the layer of fat and continue as above.