Roe deer stew with red wine and mushrooms

Kitchen · Roe deer · Autumn and winter

Lees in het Nederlands

Roe deer is the finest game you can buy in the Netherlands: mild and tender. For a stew, use cuts that love slow cooking, such as shoulder and neck. After a few hours of gentle braising, the meat falls apart in a dark sauce of red wine, mushrooms and bacon.

Ingredients for 4

• 1 kg roe deer shoulder or neck, in 4 cm chunks
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 100 g smoked bacon lardons
• 2 onions and 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 400 ml red wine
• 400 ml game stock
• 2 bay leaves, thyme, 6 juniper berries
• 250 g mushrooms
• 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• salt and pepper

How to make it

1. Pat the meat dry, season and toss in the flour.
2. Brown it in batches in hot oil; set aside.
3. Fry the bacon, then soften the onion, carrot and garlic for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée.
4. Deglaze with the wine and reduce for a few minutes.
5. Return the meat, add stock, herbs and juniper and bring to a simmer.
6. Braise gently for 2.5 to 3 hours with the lid ajar, until fork-tender.
7. Fry the mushrooms until golden and stir them in with the jelly in the last half hour.

Chef’s tips

Which cut?	Shoulder, neck or leg for stewing; loin only for quick searing
Make ahead	Even better the next day
Serve with	Mashed potato, spätzle or red cabbage with apple

More about the animal on the roe deer page. Also try venison steak and wild boar stew.