Venison Daube with Thyme Dumplings

The previous day, remove the rind from the belly pork if need be and cut into thin lardons. Cut the venison into 1 inch/2.5 cm cubes. Make some seasoned flour with any flour and a few pinches of salt and pepper.

Season the lardons with salt and pepper. Put a smear of olive oil into a frying pan, add the pork lardons and brown stirring from time to time. Remove and put into an ovenproof casserole.

Add a tablespoonful of olive oil to the frying pan, dip the venison cubes in the seasoned flour and brown in batches in the frying pan. Remove and add to the casserole.

Pour the red wine into the hot pan, use a wooden spatula to scrape up the meat/flour, and reduce by about half. Add to the casserole, then use the veal stock to further deglaze the pan and add it to the casserole.

Lightly crush the juniper berries, add to the casserole, peel and crush the garlic and add to the casserole. Add a full teaspoonful of salt and some black pepper. Cover and cook in the oven at 325°F/170°C/Reg3 for two hours stirring once or twice. Switch off the oven and allow to cool.

The following day make the red cabbage  Recipe   and put to one side. Prepare the carrots, season and put in an ovenproof pan with salt and pepper, some olive oil and some sprigs of thyme.

Gently warm the casserole. Add a little more hot water if need be to allow the dumplings to be cooked. Add the rowan jelly and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make the dumplings by stirring the flour and suet, add lots of thyme leaves and a pinch of salt. Carefully stir in some cold water until still firm pastry. Knead with your fist, and make into little balls by rolling in your hands  Picture  .

Put the carrots into cook at 400°F/200°C/Reg6 for about twenty minutes. Add the dumplings to the casserole and cook at 350°F/180°C/Reg4 for about twenty minutes  Picture  . Rewarm the red cabbage.

Serve the venison, carrots and dumplings  Zoom  . Enjoy.