A Tasty Venison Sausage Recipe for you this Winter

From field to Fork. For us at BushWear, we love our grub.

Now it's November, one pot hearty dishes to warm your cockels are a must. And as ethical hunters there is nothing better than being able to cook and eat what you have stalked; meaning its fresh, sustainable and free-range. More than half of Britain's deer population need to be culled each year because of the damage they do to the environment; ruining crops, causing road accidents and responsible for the decline of birds like the Nightingale because of the damage they do to wild flowers and shrubs. Therefore, in the absence of a natural predator, it is widely encouraged to eat more deer. As it is currently shooting season for Red and Sika Hinds, along with Fallow and Roe Does, to celebrate we thought we would share one of our favorite recipes with you from our friends at Seriously Good Venison;

Venison Sausages Braised in Red Wine

"Bangers are bangers, but there are some bangers that are extremely special  and venison sausages are positively five star, especially when you serve them braised slowly with herbs, shallots, mushrooms and red wine. Then all you need is a dreamy pile of light, creamy mashed potato to go with them". - Delia Smith

Ingredients:

• 450g Venison Sausages, (any flavour, but Garlic & Red Wine, Original, Prune & Brandy or Wild Mushroom & Thyme all work particularly well with this recipe)

• 6oz / 175g Open cap mushrooms 8oz / 225g Diced bacon or pancetta

• 8oz / 225g Shallots, diced 1Garlic clove, peeled and crushed

• 1 tbsp Olive oil 10fl oz / 275ml Red wine

• 10-12 Juniper berries, crushed with the back of a knife 1tspn Fresh chopped thyme

• 2 Bay leaves 1 heaped tspn Plain flour

• 1 tspn Mustard powder 1oz / 25g Butter, softened

• 1 tbsp Wild Rowan Jelly Salt & Freshly ground pepper

Method:

• Heat the oil in the casserole and brown the sausages evenly all over, then transfer to a plate.

• Brown the diced bacon along with the garlic and shallots.

• Return the sausages to the casserole, pour in the wine and add the berries, then thyme and bay leaves. 

• Season lightly, bring it all up to a gentle simmer, put a lid on, turn the heat as low as possible and let it all simmer gently for 30 minutes.

• Add the mushrooms, stirring them in well, then cook gently for a further 20 minutes this time without the lid so the liquid reduces slightly.

• To finish off, remove the sausages and vegetables to a warm serving dish, mix the flour and the mustard powder with the softened butter until you have a smooth paste and whisk this, a little at a time, into the casserole.

• Let everything bubble for a few more minutes, then take off the heat, return the sausages, whisk in the wild rowan jelly and it's ready to serve.

Stay tuned for our Christmas Catalogue coming out in the next couple of weeks We'll be sharing with you how to make your own festive Bangers for your Christmas meal and the essentials you'll need to get started. 

So Ready, Steady, Cook. If you fancy giving this recipe a go then let us know how you get on or send us your photos to info@bushwear.co.uk