Venison Sausage Casserole with Juniper Berries
Home for the holidays, I’m transported to this vista of early eighteenth century Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England.* Over years we have wandered the landscaped Palace grounds striding towards its majestic and austere facade. Dithering pheasants get in our way and run all around awaiting their inevitable demise, sheep dully munch on and maintain the grass and pike swim in the depths of the Great Lake.
It forms the perfect backdrop for a game recipe at Christmas using local ingredients available at specialist butchers, select supermarkets or online for delivery.
Whenever I return to Great Britain from the United States it’s a wonder that this small island has so much green and room for pasture along with 60 million people. On those pastures grow venison and juniper for a rich and boozy casserole this week, great for taking the edge off those Winter blues. Before I left Chicago I procured venison sausage, to test the recipe, from our reliable local favorite meat purveyors Gene’s Sausage Shop & Delicatessen. Gene’s offers 40 hand crafted varieties of house made sausages and meats using only natural casings and without preservatives.
Early on a Sunday morning right before I left for work I set the sausages, red wine and juniper to cook all day in my slow cooker. The juniper berries give this casserole its distinctive aroma and flavor: a festive, piney, scent. Venison is leaner than pork and beef and gives it a big protein kick. Soak up all the sauce with creamy mashed potato and finish with steamed, seasoned red cabbage or French style with a citrusy green salad course.
Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours on LOW or 4 on HIGH
Servings 4 (easily scaled up to feed more)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz bacon, diced
- 8 oz shallots, peeled and whole
- 1lb venison sausages
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp juniper berrier, crushes
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp yellow mustard powder
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 1/2 cups /10 fl oz / 375 ml red wine (substitute half for beef broth if you don’t want too much wine flavor)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 oz chestnut mushrooms
- salt and pepper
- redcurrant or blueberry jelly
Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté bacon on high with the shallots for 2 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.
Add the venison sausages and garlic to the slow cooker. Stir into the bacon and shallot mixture.
Add the juniper, thyme, yellow mustard powder and flour. Stir into the mixture.
Add the wine, broth, bay leaves and mushrooms and stir. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
Uncover and serve with mashed potatoes and a spoonful of redcurrant or wild blueberry jelly / jam.
Zen Moment
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
― Edith Sitwell
* As the military commander who led the Allied forces to victory in the Battle of Blenheim in 1704, John Churchill was gifted this majestic architectural mansion by the monarch of the time Queen Anne and it has been inhabited by the Churchill family ever since.
Picture courtesy of Blenheim Palace estates.
