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TAGINE OF VENISON WITH APRICOTS

Notes: A tagine is both the name of the recipe and the name of the vessel in which it is cooked in Morocco: an earthenware dish with a conical lid which has a tiny hole in it to let a small amount of steam escape.  You may of course use the shoulder or even shin, but it will need longer to cook.  Also, de-stoned prunes may be successfully substituted for apricots. Different spices may of course be added, but cumin, ginger and saffron are always included. Salted lemons & limes are common ingredient in the middle east and lend a delightful flavour. Pack some slices into a jar with lots of coarse sea salt and leave for a few weeks.

Ingredients for 4:

• 700g (1½ lb) venison haunch, cubed (try also 800g pheasant thighs)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tablesp olive oil
• 1 teasp cumin
• 1 teasp ground ginger
• 1 teasp turmeric
• ½ teasp ground coriander seed (opt)
• ½ teasp cinnamon
• ½ teasp saffron
• ½ teasp ground black pepper
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded & cut into chunks
• ½ head of garlic cloves, peeled & halved
• 125g (4 oz, or 12) dried apricots, pre-soaked
• Few slices of chopped salted lemon
• Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• 300g (10 oz) cous cous
• 1 tablesp oil
• 500 ml (18 fl oz) water

Method
Heat the oil an a pan and toss the onion and meat in it till a little brown. Add the spices and fry them too for a minute. Add the red pepper and garlic. Add enough water to cover, bring to simmering point and either simmer gently or cook in a medium oven for about an hour. Then add the apricots and cook for a further ½ hour or until the meat is tender. Add enough preserved lemon to adjust the salt content. To cook the couscous, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the cous cous till just beginning to brown.  Then add the water. Withdraw from the heat and cover for 3-4 minutes until the water is taken up, stirring occasionally to make sure the cous cous does not stick.  Serve with the tagine, adding the freshly chopped herbs just before serving.

VENISON STEAKS WITH BLUE CHEESE SAUCE

This is a very rich dish indeed, and not one for anyone trying to reduce cholesterol!  It is however, a huge favourite with our customers. I was given the recipe many years ago by a French student staying with us.  She of course recommended Roquefort for the cheese, but since we have good blue cheeses in Britain, use any you like.  Local is usually the best! Both Roquefort and Lanark Blue cheeses are fairly salty, so check the sauce before serving and dilute it with milk or water if it is too salty.

Ingredients for 4:

• 4 x 180-200g venison steaks
• 100g / 4 oz blue cheese (e.g. Stilton, Lanark or Dunsyre Blue, Wensleydale Blue, Shropshire Blue or Roquefort)
• 100ml / ¼ pint single cream

Method

Fry the steaks on either side in a very hot pan till nicely browned but still quite undercooked (about a minute either side if the pan is hot, but a little more if the steaks are thick), then remove them to a warm place to rest and complete their cooking. Mash together the cream and cheese, and add this to the pan, scraping up all the brown pan juices. If the sauce looks a bit too thick, let it down with either rmilk or water. With blue cheese, salt is usually not needed, but season with pepper if wished. You need some pretty refreshing vegetables to accompany this sumptuous dish.