1/2 bottle pinot noir
1kg venison shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks
1 venison shank
1 onion, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
2 sprigs of thyme
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
50g unsalted butter
250g unsmoked lardons
250g button mushrooms
24 baby onions
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato purée
35ml brandy
500ml good brown chicken stock
18 small Chantenay carrots, peeled and scrubbed
3 tbsp chopped parsley
Sea salt and black pepper
1. Put the wine in a non-metallic container with the beef, onion, carrot, garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Cover with cling film and marinate overnight in the fridge.
2. Remove from the fridge and strain the beef and vegetables.
3. Preheat the oven to 140°C.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter in a large casserole dish over a medium to high heat. Add the lardons and fry until golden, remove with a slotted spoon and reserve in a bowl. Add the mushrooms and baby onions to the pan and fry until lightly golden, remove with a slotted spoon into a separate bowl.
5. Meanwhile, put the drained marinated venison and vegetables onto a plate, season thoroughly dust with the flour.
6. Taking care not to overcrowd the pan, brown in several batches (adding another glug of oil as necessary) until evenly coloured and crusted. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. When all the meat and vegetables are browned and set aside, add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute, then add the brandy to the pan and scrape to dislodge any sticky caramelised bits on the bottom. Add the wine and reduce by half, and finally the stock, bring to a simmer. Return the browned venison and vegetables to the pan and bring back to a simmer.
7. Cover and place in the oven for 3 hours, then carefully skim off any fat that has formed on top. Stir in the baby onions, mushrooms, half the lardons and Chantenay carrots, and return to the oven for another hour. Add the chopped parsley and remaining lardons and season to taste.
8. Serve with some mashed potato with Dijon mustard stirred through, or some crusty bread.
