Game and dark fruit are an old pair, and prunes provide exactly the sweetness that the robust meat can handle. Chestnuts give the ragout a floury, nutty richness that you would otherwise have to look for in the side dishes.
After an hour and a half, you have a braised dish on the table that tastes of the forest and a fireplace — bread dumplings or Spätzle are all that's needed to complete it.
Ingredients
- 800 g venison leg goulash, cut into 4 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp clarified butter
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 350 ml robust red wine
- 400 ml game stock
- 8 juniper berries, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 150 g cooked chestnuts, halved
- 80 g soft prunes, halved
- 1 tsp dark balsamic vinegar
- 20 g cold butter
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Pat the meat cubes dry and sear in batches in hot clarified butter so they brown instead of stewing, then set aside.
- Add the shallots and carrot to the pot and sauté over medium heat until translucent.
- Add the tomato paste, sauté for two minutes, and deglaze with a splash of red wine.
- Scrape up all the browned bits, pour in the remaining wine, and reduce by half.
- Add the meat, game stock, juniper, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, and let everything simmer gently covered over low heat for 75 minutes.
- Fold in the chestnuts and prunes and simmer uncovered for another 20 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves and season the ragout with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Swirl in the cold butter in small pieces to give the sauce a glossy finish and serve immediately.
