Slow Cooker Wild Venison Stew

Ingredients

• 800 g diced wild venison, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 15 ml rapeseed oil
• 200 g onion, chopped
• 500 g potatoes, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 250 g carrots, cut into thick rounds
• 200 g leeks, washed and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 500 ml hot low-salt beef stock
• 25 g tomato purée
• 15 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 15 g cornflour
• 30 ml cold water
• 2 g fine salt, or to taste
• 1 g ground black pepper

Method

1. 1

   Use fully thawed venison and follow your slow cooker instructions, including its minimum and maximum fill levels. Put the potatoes, carrots and leeks in the cooking pot. Preheat the appliance if its instructions require it.

2. 2

   Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the meat in batches for 8 minutes. Add it to the slow cooker. Soften the onion in the same pan for 5 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute.

3. 3

   Pour the hot stock into the frying pan. Stir in the tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce, scraping the base, and bring to the boil. Carefully pour everything over the meat and vegetables.

4. 4

   Add the herbs, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for about 7½ hours without repeatedly lifting the lid. Check at this point: the potatoes should be tender and the meat should give easily to a fork. Continue cooking if needed.

5. 5

   Mix the cornflour with the cold water. Stir it into the bubbling liquid, turn the cooker to high and cook with the lid on for about 20–30 minutes until the sauce thickens.

6. 6

   Remove the thyme and bay leaf. Probe several of the largest meat pieces: they must be piping hot and at least 70°C for 2 minutes. Taste the gravy, adjust the seasoning and serve.