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Serves 4
Osso bucco is the English spelling of ossobuco: the Italian for marrowbone, usually veal, when thick slices of shin are cut to include the bone. Shin is one of the toughest parts of any animal and therefore requires very long slow cooking. Try and hurry it up and you will end up with a texture akin to knicker elastic or worse. Leave it to simmer for hours, though, and the cartilaginous parts turn into a heavenly jelly that, with the bone marrow, lubricates the meat to produce a voluptuous dish with a silky sauce. This is one of the occasions when it pays to have lots of ingredients that will mingle as they cook to produce a dark, rich, velvety sauce. Like oxtail, slices of shin will vary greatly in size. This dish may also be made as a casserole using 650g/ 1½ lbs diced venison shoulder or shin but the cooking time for shoulder can be reduced to 2-2 ½ hours.
Ingredients
1 kg (2¼ lb) venison osso bucco cut into 8 or 16 slices
250g diced root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, turnip, celeriac)
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
250g/ 8 oz stoned plums
300 ml (½ pt) red wine
200 ml port or red vermouth
200 ml stock or water
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons rowan or redcurrant jelly
10 juniper berries, crushed
½ teasp. ground nutmeg
½ teasp. ground ginger
¼ teasp. ground cloves
Pepper, salt
Bunch of fresh herbs (thyme, fennel, rosemary)
4 large or 8 medium potatoes
Butter or oil
Coarse ground or flaked sea salt
Pepper
650g / 1½lbs carrots
1 tablespoon butter
150ml / ¼ pt cream
Pinch of coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fresh fennel
Method
Brown the root vegetables, onion and garlic, and place in a large casserole dish. Brown the osso bucco over a fierce heat and add them to the casserole with the plums, red wine, port, stock, balsamic vinegar, jelly, crushed juniper berries, spices, fresh herbs, and a pinch of salt. Bring to simmering point in a hot oven, then cover tightly and cook very slowly indeed at a low temperature till tender, which will take 4 – 6 hours.
An hour before you want to serve the osso bucco, prepare the potatoes. Push a skewer through them lengthways about 1 cm from the base. This is to prevent the knife cutting all the way through. With a sharp knife, make cuts about 4cm wide all the way along, as though you were partially slicing a loaf of bread. Carefully withdraw the skewer. Continue with the rest of the potatoes. Smear the tops with butter and/or drizzle with oil, sprinkle with sea salt and grind some pepper over them. Bake in a medium-hot oven (200º C) for about ¾ - 1 hour depending on size. When done, the potatoes will have opened out slightly, like a fan, crisp on top and moist in the centre.
While these cook, make the carrot mash. Peel and chop the carrots, boil for about 20 minutes till soft, then mash them with a tablespoon of butter and the cream. Season with salt and pepper, and finish by stirring in a tablespoon of fresh fennel leaves, snipped finely. Keep warm.
When the osso bucco is cooked, carefully remove the slices and divide them between four warmed plates. Strain the sauce from the vegetables, check the seasoning and spoon it round the meat. Serve with the hasselback potatoes and carrot mash.
Osso bucco is the English spelling of ossobuco: the Italian for marrowbone, usually veal, when thick slices of shin are cut to include the bone. Shin is one of the toughest parts of any animal and therefore requires very long slow cooking. Try and hurry it up and you will end up with a texture akin to knicker elastic or worse. Leave it to simmer for hours, though, and the cartilaginous parts turn into a heavenly jelly that, with the bone marrow, lubricates the meat to produce a voluptuous dish with a silky sauce. This is one of the occasions when it pays to have lots of ingredients that will mingle as they cook to produce a dark, rich, velvety sauce. Like oxtail, slices of shin will vary greatly in size. This dish may also be made as a casserole using 650g/ 1½ lbs diced venison shoulder or shin but the cooking time for shoulder can be reduced to 2-2 ½ hours.
Ingredients
1 kg (2¼ lb) venison osso bucco cut into 8 or 16 slices
250g diced root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, turnip, celeriac)
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
250g/ 8 oz stoned plums
300 ml (½ pt) red wine
200 ml port or red vermouth
200 ml stock or water
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons rowan or redcurrant jelly
10 juniper berries, crushed
½ teasp. ground nutmeg
½ teasp. ground ginger
¼ teasp. ground cloves
Pepper, salt
Bunch of fresh herbs (thyme, fennel, rosemary)
4 large or 8 medium potatoes
Butter or oil
Coarse ground or flaked sea salt
Pepper
650g / 1½lbs carrots
1 tablespoon butter
150ml / ¼ pt cream
Pinch of coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fresh fennel
Method
Brown the root vegetables, onion and garlic, and place in a large casserole dish. Brown the osso bucco over a fierce heat and add them to the casserole with the plums, red wine, port, stock, balsamic vinegar, jelly, crushed juniper berries, spices, fresh herbs, and a pinch of salt. Bring to simmering point in a hot oven, then cover tightly and cook very slowly indeed at a low temperature till tender, which will take 4 – 6 hours.
An hour before you want to serve the osso bucco, prepare the potatoes. Push a skewer through them lengthways about 1 cm from the base. This is to prevent the knife cutting all the way through. With a sharp knife, make cuts about 4cm wide all the way along, as though you were partially slicing a loaf of bread. Carefully withdraw the skewer. Continue with the rest of the potatoes. Smear the tops with butter and/or drizzle with oil, sprinkle with sea salt and grind some pepper over them. Bake in a medium-hot oven (200º C) for about ¾ - 1 hour depending on size. When done, the potatoes will have opened out slightly, like a fan, crisp on top and moist in the centre.
While these cook, make the carrot mash. Peel and chop the carrots, boil for about 20 minutes till soft, then mash them with a tablespoon of butter and the cream. Season with salt and pepper, and finish by stirring in a tablespoon of fresh fennel leaves, snipped finely. Keep warm.
When the osso bucco is cooked, carefully remove the slices and divide them between four warmed plates. Strain the sauce from the vegetables, check the seasoning and spoon it round the meat. Serve with the hasselback potatoes and carrot mash.
© 2010 Nichola Fletcher
Serves 4
This purée has just the right balance of tart to sweet; it is really more of a relish than a sauce as you don't need very much, so it's a good one for barbecues as well as indoor dining. If you have a glut of gooseberries, you can successfully substitute them for tart grapes. For once, grapes that are unripe work well. They make a good contrast to crisp sauté potatoes or home made chips. Any sort of steak may be used but I favour plump ones here. Use either thick-cut slices of haunch or loin, or whole fillets.
Ingredients
To make the purée, soften the shallots in a very small amount of oil, and once softened, drain off any excess oil and add the chopped grapes, wine vinegar and wine. Boil them until the liquid has almost disappeared, then rub them though a small metal sieve, leaving only the grape skins & pips behind. This can be made ahead and kept warm if wished.
To cook the steaks, heat some butter and oil in a frying pan and brown them all over briskly. Lower the heat and continue to cook for a further 8 minutes (less if they are thinner), then remove from the heat and rest them for a further five minutes or to taste. Serve with chips or sauté potatoes, glazed carrots and a small pool of the green grape purée.
This purée has just the right balance of tart to sweet; it is really more of a relish than a sauce as you don't need very much, so it's a good one for barbecues as well as indoor dining. If you have a glut of gooseberries, you can successfully substitute them for tart grapes. For once, grapes that are unripe work well. They make a good contrast to crisp sauté potatoes or home made chips. Any sort of steak may be used but I favour plump ones here. Use either thick-cut slices of haunch or loin, or whole fillets.
Ingredients
- 700g (1½ lb) thick cut venison steaks
- 2 small shallots, finely chopped
- 350g (12 oz) green grapes, chopped
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 small glass (100ml) dry white wine
- (optional) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander or parsley
To make the purée, soften the shallots in a very small amount of oil, and once softened, drain off any excess oil and add the chopped grapes, wine vinegar and wine. Boil them until the liquid has almost disappeared, then rub them though a small metal sieve, leaving only the grape skins & pips behind. This can be made ahead and kept warm if wished.
To cook the steaks, heat some butter and oil in a frying pan and brown them all over briskly. Lower the heat and continue to cook for a further 8 minutes (less if they are thinner), then remove from the heat and rest them for a further five minutes or to taste. Serve with chips or sauté potatoes, glazed carrots and a small pool of the green grape purée.
This unusual sauce is one of my favourites. It comes from Persia (Iran), courtesy of Margaret Shaida. It is a sumptuous balance of sweet and tart. If you can get hold of pomegranate paste from a Middle Eastern shop, you don't need to boil down the pomegranate juice. Use 2 tablespoons of paste instead. When buying pomegranate juice, make sure it hss not been diluted too much with other juices – you need at least 70% pomegranate. If you have neither juice nor paste, then a really tart jelly works fine – our rowan jelly is ideal. The result is magnificent; the walnuts exude their oil which coats the venison lusciously, and walnut oil is very good for you. It is very rich, so is perfect for cold weather.
Serves 4
Start by reducing the pomegranate juice. Boil it rapidly with the lemon juice until only about 2 tablespoons of syrup remain. It takes 20-30 minutes to reduce.
To make the sauce, chop the walnuts roughly, then either mince them or blend them in a food processor to small crumbs. Fry them gently in a little oil, stirring all the time until they darken (about 15 minutes), being careful to keep the heat low so that they don't burn. They can do so very suddenly. Add enough stock to generously cover the walnuts, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes, topping up with water or stock if it starts to get too dry. Meanwhile, fry the onions in oil till soft and golden. Add half to the walnuts, reserving the rest for the meatballs. Once the pomegranate juice is reduced, stir it in (or stir in the paste or jelly) and continue cooking the sauce for a further 20 minutes, topping up with more stock if necessary. Then season with salt and pepper and adjust the sweet/sour balance if necessary with lemon juice, jelly or sugar.
While the sauce cooks, make the meatballs. Chop the prunes or apricots finely and mix them into the venison mince with the remaining softened onion and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper and form into 24 small meatballs, squeezing them hard so they don't break up. Roll them in flour then brown them all over. Drain off any excess oil, then pour the walnut and pomegranate sauce over them and cook gently for another 10 -15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with rice and steamed spinach or courgettes, or with a mixed herb salad.
Recipe from 'Nichola Fletcher's Ultimate Venison Cookery © 2006 Nichola Fletcher
Serves 4
- 600g (1¼ lb) venison mince
- 8 pitted prunes or dried apricots
- 1 heaped teaspoon turmeric
- Flour to coat the meatballs
- 500ml (¾ pt+) pomegranate juice (or 1-2 tablespoons rowan jelly)
- 100g (4 oz) freshly shelled walnuts
- 500ml (¾ pt+) venison or other stock
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon or lime (optional).
Start by reducing the pomegranate juice. Boil it rapidly with the lemon juice until only about 2 tablespoons of syrup remain. It takes 20-30 minutes to reduce.
To make the sauce, chop the walnuts roughly, then either mince them or blend them in a food processor to small crumbs. Fry them gently in a little oil, stirring all the time until they darken (about 15 minutes), being careful to keep the heat low so that they don't burn. They can do so very suddenly. Add enough stock to generously cover the walnuts, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes, topping up with water or stock if it starts to get too dry. Meanwhile, fry the onions in oil till soft and golden. Add half to the walnuts, reserving the rest for the meatballs. Once the pomegranate juice is reduced, stir it in (or stir in the paste or jelly) and continue cooking the sauce for a further 20 minutes, topping up with more stock if necessary. Then season with salt and pepper and adjust the sweet/sour balance if necessary with lemon juice, jelly or sugar.
While the sauce cooks, make the meatballs. Chop the prunes or apricots finely and mix them into the venison mince with the remaining softened onion and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper and form into 24 small meatballs, squeezing them hard so they don't break up. Roll them in flour then brown them all over. Drain off any excess oil, then pour the walnut and pomegranate sauce over them and cook gently for another 10 -15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with rice and steamed spinach or courgettes, or with a mixed herb salad.
Recipe from 'Nichola Fletcher's Ultimate Venison Cookery © 2006 Nichola Fletcher
| Serves 4 Although this recipe is for roasted venison, the risotto goes equally well with steaks. The fragrant spiciness of lime zest makes a lovely complement to the summer treats of baby broad beans, asparagus and new peas. If you use pre-cooked risotto rice, follow the recommendations for liquid and cooking times on the pack, and adjust the stock accordingly. You may wish to use the zest from only one of the limes, though I like to use both. You can use any combination of spices you fancy, but these ones go well with the lime risotto. And other lovely vegetables can be used – mangetout peas, fresh green beans, bulb fennel – whatever is fresh and seasonal. To make it into a winter risotto, use pearl barley instead of rice, and wintry vegetables like celery, carrots and red peppers. Ingredients
Allow 30-40 minutes to cook the risotto. Grate the zest off the limes and reserve. Trim the asparagus and chop into 2cm (1") lengths. Heat up the stock. Melt the butter in a large, deep frying pan, and gently fry the shallots till transparent. Add the rice and fry it gently for five minutes, then add the wine and the juice from the limes. Increase the heat and add a quarter of the stock and the lower ends of the chopped asparagus. Once it has been absorbed, add another quarter and keep stirring. Now start to roast the venison (see below). When the third quarter of stock is added, put in the middle parts of the asparagus as well. When the last quarter of stock is added to the risotto, put in the broad beans, peas, asparagus tips, and lime zest. Check the seasoning and add salt, pepper and more lime zest if wished. Finally, stir in the grated Parmesan if wished – it makes the risotto more creamy but is not essential. To roast the venison, heat the butter and oil in a pan. If you prefer a mild spice flavour, scrape most of them off before cooking; for a more spicy flavour leave them on. Brown the joint all over, then roast in a hot oven (230C/Gas 8/450F) for 2-3 minutes per centimetre (half inch) thickness, then remove to a warm place (about 80 degrees C) for a further 2-3 minutes per cm/half inch thickness. Scatter the fresh coriander over the risotto before serving with the venison. |
When I made these for a cooking demonstration, one man asked if he could drink the remaining dipping sauce, he liked it so much. Credit for the sauce must go to New Zealand chef Graham Brown, as the sauce is inspired by one of his fusion recipes. Try it also with thin strips or chunks of venison or drizzled over thin slices of roast venison for a starter. It will keep for about two weeks in the fridge.
The mince mixture can be pressed onto sticks for satays, or formed into tiny meatballs for serving on cocktail sticks as a pre-dinner nibble - this amount will make about 50. The prunes and aubergine helps to lubricate the mixture so there is no need to add fat. If using thin strips of venison rather than mince, soak it in soy sauce and oil for half an hour before threading it onto satay sticks.
Satays
To make the satays, cut the aubergine lengthways into two quarters and microwave on full power for 5 minutes or until the flesh is soft. When cool enough to handle, skin and dice. Chop the prunes. Put aubergine and prunes in a blender with the mince, turmeric and salt and pepper. Blend till fine, then squeeze the mixture onto satay sticks. For tiny meatballs, form the mixture into small balls, roll them in flour, and then lightly pinch them in your fingers to give them a flat bottom so that they stand upright when you press cocktail sticks into them after cooking. If using strips, thread them onto the sticks, folding the meat so that it is tightly packed. Fry all over in hot butter and oil and serve with the dipping sauce.
Recipe from 'Nichola Fletcher's Ultimate Venison Cookery' © 2007 Nichola Fletcher
The mince mixture can be pressed onto sticks for satays, or formed into tiny meatballs for serving on cocktail sticks as a pre-dinner nibble - this amount will make about 50. The prunes and aubergine helps to lubricate the mixture so there is no need to add fat. If using thin strips of venison rather than mince, soak it in soy sauce and oil for half an hour before threading it onto satay sticks.
Satays
- 450g (1 lb) venison mince
- ½ aubergine
- 8 pitted prunes or dried apricots
- 4 teaspoons turmeric
- Salt, pepper
- Flour
- Butter and oil for cooking
- 1 tablespoon pale miso paste
- 1 teaspoon Thai yellow curry paste
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons clear honey
- 2 tablespoons dry wine or rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons grape seed or light olive oil
To make the satays, cut the aubergine lengthways into two quarters and microwave on full power for 5 minutes or until the flesh is soft. When cool enough to handle, skin and dice. Chop the prunes. Put aubergine and prunes in a blender with the mince, turmeric and salt and pepper. Blend till fine, then squeeze the mixture onto satay sticks. For tiny meatballs, form the mixture into small balls, roll them in flour, and then lightly pinch them in your fingers to give them a flat bottom so that they stand upright when you press cocktail sticks into them after cooking. If using strips, thread them onto the sticks, folding the meat so that it is tightly packed. Fry all over in hot butter and oil and serve with the dipping sauce.
Recipe from 'Nichola Fletcher's Ultimate Venison Cookery' © 2007 Nichola Fletcher
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