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Venison stew with nettle dumplings
Serves 6-8 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 celery sticks, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 300g piece of pancetta or bacon, cut into 3-4cm cubes
- 800g venison shoulder, trimmed and cut into 4-5cm cubes
- 100g plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 500ml light ale
- 300ml beef stock, chicken stock or water
For the dumplings
- 100g nettle tops
- 250g self-raising flour
- 125g suet
Method
Preheat the oven to 160C/315F/ Gas 3. Heat half the oil in a large casserole over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Sweat them down, stirring, for 8-10 minutes, until soft. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. When it’s hot, turn down the heat and gently fry the pancetta or bacon until the fat has rendered down and meat is golden. Transfer to the casserole. Leave the frying pan on the heat and coat the venison in the seasoned flour before adding to the frying pan in batches, transferring to the casserole as soon as it is well-coloured, about 4-6 minutes. Stir the contents, then pour the ale over, along with enough stock or water to cover by 2-3cm and season with pepper.
Bring to a simmer, then transfer to the oven, leaving the lid slightly ajar and cook for 21⁄2-3 hours until the meat is very tender.
Shortly before the venison is ready, make the nettle dumplings. Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and add the nettle tops. Cook for 2 minutes until wilted, then drain and allow to cool. Squeeze all the water from the nettles into a bowl and retain.
Chop the nettle leaves finely and mix with the flour, suet and some salt and pepper. Stir in enough cooled nettle water to form a soft dough, about 150-200ml. Form the mixture into 10 dumplings.
Take the stew from the oven and place the dumplings evenly on top. Replace the lid and return to the oven. Cook for 20 minutes, remove the lid and cook a further 10-15 minutes, until the top of the dumplings have taken on some colour. Remove from the oven and serve alongside some buttered greens or a mixed salad.
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