Seasonal Roast Venison

While it’s more typical to serve up turkey and ham, or even goose at Christmas, a great alternative for the festive period is venison.

The following is a much-loved family recipe for Roast Venison Haunch from Gillian Kerton co-founder of Churchfields Saltworks.  It’s a simple dish which goes perfectly with seasonal fruits such as cranberries.

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Ingredients

2 kg Venison Haunch
2 Carrots (diced)
1 Onion (diced)
2-3 Celery Stalks (diced)
4 sprigs of Thyme
½ pint of red wine
½ pint of water
Sprinkle of cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons of ground Droitwich Salt

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Method

1.  Preheat your oven to 220 c

2.  Layer the bottom of your roasting tin with the diced carrots, celery and onion

3. Sprinkle your venison haunch with cracked black pepper and a teaspoon of ground Droitwich Salt and place on top of the diced vegetables

4. Pour over ½ pint of good red wine (set aside a glass to drink whilst roasting)

5. Add ½ pint of water and 4 sprigs of thyme

6. Roast covered for 20 mins, then lower the heat to 150 for a further 60 minutes

7. Uncover and roast for an additional 20 minutes

8. Strain off the juices and thicken in a saucepan with a bit of flour for your gravy

9. Allow the venison to rest, loosely covered for 15-20 mins before carving

10. Season with the remaining Droitwich Salt before serving with roasted veg and colourful cranberries