Game Casserole with Gherkins, Mustard and White Wine

Serves 4-6

This recipe was devised today by me and was served with new potatoes and carrots from our vegetable patch  and brussels sprouts.   We were delighted with how this one turned out!

The game was a mixture of venison, partridge, pheasant and duck.

We love game and now that Autumn is here and the season for game has started

and I am trying out a range of new dishes.

This dish will serve 6 with plenty of accompanying vegetables - we chose brussels sprouts, carrots

and new potatoes, first time and second with mashed potato.

Ingredients

750g pack of mixed game (you could use venison fillets, pheasant breasts etc)

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Large Knob butter

6 - 8 banana shallots, peeled and sliced

A generous glass of white wine (I also added a large splash of sherry the second time - tasted great!)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (mine were slightly heaped - do NOT be tempted to use flavoured mustards with this dish)

One chicken stock cube

6  good sized pickled gherkins, rinsed and sliced diagonally and thinly

Some mixed herbs (I used Herbes de Provence and Italian Mixed Herbs on another occasion)

2 - 4 tablespoons of Crème Fraîche or Sour Cream

Top with a small handful of chopped fresh parsley

AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO....

1. Put the oil and butter into a heavy casserole dish (I usually use a Le Creuset as you simply cannot beat this for casseroles, especially if they are started on the hob and finished in the oven!)
   
   
2. Add the game, stir and break the pieces up with a wooden spoon and allow to cook through, brown slightly, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
   
   
3. Add the sliced shallots, stir through the juices thoroughly, replace the lid and allow to steam/cook on a low heat for about five to ten minutes - do not brown.
   
   
4. Now return the meat to the casserole dish and then add the wine and herbs and stock cube and stir thoroughly.  Allow to gently simmer for about 40 minutes.
   
   
5. Meanwhile, you can prepare your vegetables - we had new potatoes, carrots and brussels sprouts and by the time these were cooked, so was the casserole!
   
   
6. Just before serving, add the gherkins mustard, and Crème Fraîche, stir through and you could sprinkle some chopped parsley on top if you wish.   The Crème Fraîche beautifully binds the flavours together which are intense.