Wild Venison and Chestnut Stuffing Balls
Small wild venison stuffing balls with chestnuts, onion and fresh herbs, baked separately from the roast.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Species: Muntjac, Chinese Water Deer, Roe Deer, Fallow Deer, Red Deer
Ingredients
- 400 g wild venison mince
- 150 g ready-cooked peeled chestnuts, chopped
- 100 g onion, finely chopped
- 20 g butter
- 80 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 6 sage leaves, finely chopped
- 10 g parsley, chopped
- 15 ml rapeseed oil
- 1 g fine salt
- 1 g ground black pepper
The cut for this recipe
Wild Venison Mince
Method
Heat the oven to 200°C, or 180°C fan. Melt the butter in a small pan and soften the onion for 7 minutes, then spread it on a plate to cool briefly.
Put the mince, chestnuts, breadcrumbs, egg, sage and parsley in a bowl. Add the cooled onion, salt and pepper and mix until evenly combined.
Divide into 18 equal portions and roll into balls about 4 cm wide. Wash your hands and clean utensils and surfaces after handling the raw mixture.
Arrange on a lined baking tray with space between them. Brush lightly with the oil and bake for 25–28 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Check several balls in the centre with a clean food thermometer. They must reach 70°C for 2 minutes, be piping hot throughout and have no pink mince. Allow more time if necessary.
Lift onto a warm serving dish. Serve as a side dish with roast vegetables or as small bites with your preferred chutney.
Storage
Cool in shallow portions and refrigerate within 1–2 hours at 5°C or below. Eat within 48 hours. Freeze promptly for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Reheat only once until piping hot throughout.
