Venison & Butterbean Stew

Recipe for: VENISON & BUTTERBEAN SPICY STEW (with guacamole)

Ingredients:

·         90ml olive oil

·         500g shallots, peeled & left whole

·         350g smoked bacon lardons

·         4-6 dried red chillies

·         2 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed

·         1 tsp ground cumin

·         1 tblsp white wine vinegar

·         ½ tsp caster sugar

·         1 kg venison shoulder or neck, cut into dice

·         2 tblsp plain flour

·         250ml white vermouth

·         5 large sprigs thyme, tied with string

·         400g tin butter beans, drained & rinsed

·         Salt

Method:

1.       Heat oven to 150C/ fan 135C/ 300f/ gas 2

2.       In a large, heavy sauté pan on medium heat, add two tblsp of oil, shallots and bacon lardons, and fry for ten minutes, stirring to brown & soften

3.       Put chillies in bowl with 150ml boiling water, allow to rehydrate for 30 minutes

4.       Strain, saving the water

5.       Slit chillies, take out seeds (discard) and put in blender with garlic, cumin, vinegar, sugar, tblsp of oil, salt.

6.       Blitz to a paste, adding a little chilli water to get a smooth result

7.       In another bowl, put the venison, sprinkling over flour & salt, then mix thoroughly

8.       In a clean pan heat some oil, and seal the floured meat in three batches, keeping the cooked batches until it’s all cooked

9.       When it’s all done, add the browned meat to the lardons and shallots

10.    Add vermouth & cook for two minutes

11.    Add the chilli paste, 120ml of water & the thyme sprigs

12.    Cover & transfer to heated oven, cooking for 90 minutes

13.    10 minutes before the end, add the drained butter beans and re-cover

14.    Remove & leave to stand for 20 minutes before serving

What else you need to know:

1.       Serve with sour cream & a guacamole (diced avocado, ½ red onion finely chopped, coriander leaves & 2tblsp lime juice)

2.       This is a rich & comforting spicy stew