Venison & Mushroom Lasagne

Wild Venison & mushroom Lasagne - to serve 10

Thanks to Bill Sewell - Bill’s Kitchen for providing this recipe.

Download a printable version here

For the Venison & Mushroom filling

250g                 smoked bacon diced
400g                 onions peeled & diced ( 1cm)
2                      cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
1kg                   minced venison
500g                 mushrooms diced (2cm)
3 x 400g           tinned tomatoes (blended)
50g                   dried ceps or dried mixed wild mushrooms
100ml               warm water
Few sprigs of thyme

For the cheese sauce

100g                 Butter – roughly chopped
100g                 Plain flour
1 litre               milk
2                      bay leaves
125g                 Cheddar grated
¼ tsp                ground nutmeg
           

To assemble

75g                   Parmesan grated
125g                 breadcrumbs
500g                 lasagne sheets

To make the Venison and Mushroom mix

1.      Finely chop the garlic and cook in a very large pan with the olive oil, onions & smoked bacon until the onions are soft.
2.      Brown the minced venison in batches add to the onions and cook on a low heat with the lid on for about half an hour. Deglaze the pan from browning the mince with red wine and add to the pot.
3.      Add the mushrooms and finely chopped thyme and cook until the mushrooms have softened a little, then add the blended, tinned tomatoes. Take the soaked ceps out of their soaking liquor and chop them finely then add them to the pan together with their soaking liquor. Simmer for a further half hour to an hour until the correct consistency has been reached. Finally, season to taste with salt and pepper.
 

To make cheese sauce

1.      To make the sauce – pour the milk into a pan with the bay leaves and bring just to boiling point. In another, large, pan heat the butter in a large pan until it begins to foam, then tip in the flour and mix it well into the butter.
2.      When the mixture, the roux, begins to bubble and become paler in colour begin adding the hot milk straining it through a sieve. To avoid lumps, you need to add the milk a little at a time - aim for about a tenth of the total quantity each time. After each addition of milk bring the sauce back to the boil, then simmer and stir until thick and lump-free. When you have added all the milk, bring the sauce to the boil and then immediately take off the heat, stir in the grated Cheddar and nutmeg then salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

 To assemble and bake

1.      Mix the grated Cheddar and breadcrumbs together, adding a little salt and freshly ground black pepper to season. Then layer all the separate parts of the lasagne into baking dish. (Bake at 400F / 200C until bubbling and golden brown.

 Order of Assembly

1.      Venison filling
2.      Lasagne sheets
3.      cheese sauce
4.      Lasagne sheets
5.      Venison filling
6.      Lasagne sheets
7.      Cheese sauce
8.      Cheese and breadcrumb topping

Enjoy!

Courtesy of Bill Sewell, photograph by Jay Watson

Minced Pork Ragu

Our thanks from Cathy at Case for Cooking  who sent this delicious recipe. Very easy – you just need to remember to marinade the mince 24 hours before cooking.

Download a printable version here

Ingredients for the meat marinade

500g-600g minced pork shoulder
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
¼ tsp fennel seeds
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried basil
2 large garlic cloves
1 ½ Tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar

Method

In a large mixing bowl, mix the marinade ingredients into the meat. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 24 hours.

Ingredients for the ragu:

2 Tbsp olive oil
All of the marinated meat
1 large onion thinly chopped
2 large garlic cloves
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tin (400g) of chopped tomatoes
½ tsp sea salt
1 ½ tsp sugar
2 heaped Tbsp tomato puree

Method

1, Add the oil to a large pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the marinated meat, onion & the garlic. Gently fry until light brown, breaking the meat apart as you go.

2, Mix in the rest of the ingredients one by one & bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat slightly, cover and cook for 45 minutes & you’re ready to serve with a pasta of your choice.

Tip from the Cooking Plumber:

If you have a good bottle of dry red wine handy and don’t mind losing 1 Tbsp, add it to the minced pork marinade ingredients.

Adam Gemili's Pork Stir Fry

Pork stir-fry (serves 2)

 Thanks to one of our customers,  Stevie Krayer for this recipe adapted from a recipe by sportsman, British Sprinter Adam Gemili.

This one is a light and healthy summer dish, - and you can adapt it further to suit your taste. The prep takes a while (as usual with stir-fries) but cooking is very quick, so have everything ready before you start cooking.

Download a printable version here.


Ingredients
1 pork fillet, sliced into slivers
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp ginger, cut into fine matchsticks.
1 red chili, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 tbsps almond flakes (or other nuts if preferred)
Mixture of veg, thinly sliced - I like red pepper, young courgettes, carrots and mushrooms, and you can also add a handful of fresh bean sprouts
3 or 4 spring onions, sliced
juice and zest of 1 lime
4 tbsps soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry or rice wine (optional)
1 bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method
Heat a large wok over fairly high heat and add sesame oil. As it starts to smoke, add the pork and turn it frequently until it colours, a few minutes only.

Next add garlic, ginger and chili and cook for a further minute. Add the nuts and veg, cook for a further minute before adding the spring onions.

Cook for another minute. Keep everything moving constantly. Now add the liquids and toss to mix. Allow to reduce slightly, then mix in the coriander and serve at once, with extra soy sauce on the side if needed.

Pork Tenderloin with Honey Garlic Sauce

Our thanks to Jackie, one of our Malvern customers for sharing this recipe with us.

Pork Tenderloin seasoned with a rub, seared until golden then oven baked in an incredible Honey Garlic Sauce until it’s sticky on the outside and juicy on the inside! A quick and easy pork fillet recipe with high returns for very minimal effort.

Download a copy to print

Ingredients

Serves 4

Approx 500g of pork tenderloin (pork fillet)
1 1/2  tbsp olive oil (or butter)
3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

 Pork Tenderloin Rub:

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

 Honey Garlic Sauce:

3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup)

Instructions

1.      Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2.      Mix Sauce ingredients together.
3.      Mix Rub ingredients then sprinkle over the pork.
4.      Heat oil in a large oven proof baking tray (Note 3) over high heat. Add pork and sear until golden all over.
5.      When pork is almost seared, push to the side, add garlic and cook until golden.
6.      Pour sauce in. Turn pork once, then immediately transfer to the oven.
7.      Roast 15 - 18 minutes or until the internal temperature is 68C / 155F (Note 4).
8.      Remove pork onto plate, cover loosely with foil and rest 5 minutes.
9.      Place tray with sauce on stove over medium high heat, simmer rapidly for 3 minutes until liquid reduces down to thin syrup.
10.  Remove from stove, put pork in and turn to coat in sauce.
11.  Cut pork into thick slices and serve with sauce!

Roast venison haunch with beetroot, shallots & horseradish

Our thanks to Robert, one of our Leominster customers, who recommended this recipe for roast venison. the original recipe is courtesy of Sainsbury's.

Download printable version here.

Ingredients

1 x 500g bunch of beetroot, trimmed, peeled & cut into wedges about 1.5cm wide 
4 bay leaves 
6 sprigs of thyme 
4 tbsp olive oil 
1.3kg rolled venison haunch joint 
4 juniper berries, ground or chopped 
12 echalion shallots, peeled 
50g soft butter 
250ml port 

For the gravy 
3 sprigs of thyme 
4 juniper berries, bashed 
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and bashed 
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly 
500ml beef stock 

For the horseradish cream 
6 tbsp horseradish sauce 
150g lighter crème fraîche 

Method

1. Get ahead - Roast the beetroot and make the horseradish cream the day before; chill.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.

3. Put the beetroot in a solid roasting tin with 1 bay leaf and half the thyme. Drizzle with half the olive oil, season, and toss together. Cover tightly with foil and cook in the oven for 35 minutes or until tender. Tip the beetroot and any juices into a bowl.

4. Turn up the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Season the venison generously and rub in the juniper berries. Put the same roasting tin on the hob and pour in the rest of the oil. Add the meat and shallots and cook for 5 minutes, turning often, until the meat is browned on all sides.

5. Add the beetroot and juices and put the meat on top of the vegetables. Smear the meat with the butter and scatter the top with the rest of the bay leaves and thyme. Pour the port into the tin.

   Put in the oven for 20 minutes, then baste with the juices and reduce the heat to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3. Give it another 8 minutes per 500g for rare meat or 10 minutes per 500g for medium.

6. Meanwhile, make the horseradish cream: mix together the horseradish and crème fraîche. Season and put in the fridge until needed.

7. Remove the meat from the tin, cover with foil and rest somewhere warm for 20 minutes (or 30 if you have time). Remove the vegetables, leaving their juices in the tin, and keep warm.

8. To make the gravy, add the thyme, juniper, and garlic to the tin, stir in the redcurrant jelly, then add the beef stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes to make a flavourful gravy. Mix in any resting juices, season, and strain into a jug.

9. Slice the venison and serve with the beetroot, shallots, gravy, and horseradish, adding steamed greens, perhaps, and mashed or roast potatoes.

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Incredibly easy to make Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin – With only a few ingredients and no expertise required, this dish will become a favourite!

Courtesy of Laughing Spatula

Download a printable version here

Ingredients

Tudge Tenderloins (I used 3 smaller tenderloins to feed our hungry family of 5!)
Sufficient thinly sliced Prosciutto/ Parma ham to wrap around the tenderloin
1 tbs honey
1 tbs dijon mustard
(Adjust mustard and honey quantities depending on number of tenderloin)
salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C
2. In small bowl combine honey and Dijon mustard
3. Lay out Prosciutto on baking paper, slightly overlapping.
4. Place pork on Prosciutto (I used Parma ham)
5. Brush with honey/Dijon mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Lifting parchment, roll up.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 70 degrees.
8. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing (this is important)

Recipe Notes

I baked some sweet potato wedges around the pork, leaving the wedges in to crisp up while the meat was resting.

Chickpea Chard Pork

Courtesy of Jamie Oliver (5 Ingredients book)

Download a printable version here

Serves/time 4 people / 29 mins

Ingredients
400g  of higher-welfare pork fillet (we recommend Berkshire of course!)
1 x 480g jar of roasted peeled peppers in brine
300g rainbow chard
1 heaped tsp fennel seeds
1 x 660g jar of chickpeas

Method

 Put a large shallow casserole on a high heat. Season the pork with sea salt and black pepper, then place in the pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and sear for 5 minutes, turning halfway. Dice the drained peppers into 1cm chunks, then trim and finely slice the chard, stalks and all. 

 Remove the pork to a plate, then add the fennel seeds, peppers and chard to the pork fat in the pan. Stir and fry for 2 minutes, then stir in the chickpeas and their juice, and bring to the boil. Sit the pork back at the bottom of the pan with any resting juices, cover and simmer on a medium heat for 12 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pork is cooked and it all smells incredible. 

 Rest for 2 minutes, slice the pork, and season, adding a splash of red wine vinegar. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil to serve.

Braised pig’s cheeks with caramelised leeks

A perfect warming casserole for cold winter evenings. Thanks to Delicious Magazine for this recipe.

Download a printable version here.

Ingredients

·        12 pig’s cheeks

·        2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and black pepper

·        4 tbsp olive oil

·        2 large onions, finely sliced

·        2 leeks, finely chopped

·        Knob of unsalted butter

·        5 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped

·        1 bay leaf

·        1 tbsp runny honey

·        200ml white wine

·        200ml chicken stock

·        1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

·        100ml double cream

 

Method

1.      Dust the pig’s cheeks in the seasoned flour. Heat half the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole with a tight-fitting lid. Add the pig’s cheeks and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes each side until browned. Remove and set aside.

2.      Gently fry the onion and leek in the remaining oil and the butter for 20 minutes until soft. Add the herbs and honey and cook over a medium heat until the veg is sticky and golden brown. Return the meat. Pour in the wine and stock. Season and bring to a boil. Cover with the lid. Simmer over a low heat for 2½ hours until tender.

3.      Remove the cheeks, set aside and keep warm. Bring the sauce to the boil, add the mustard and cream and bubble for 5-10 minutes until you have a rich, golden sauce. Return the pig’s cheeks to the casserole to warm through, then serve immediately.

Guy’s Tip

We make this in a slow cooker, perfect winter evening warmer.  Guy browned the pigs cheeks as in the recipe and place in the slow cooker. Fry the onions and leeks with the honey until golden and sticky and add to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients except for the mustard and cream, cover with the lid and cook on the low setting for 5 hours until tender. Stir in the mustard and cream before serving.