‘Blast From the Past’ Recipe

Venison Mince with Celeriac Mash (Serves 4)

November deserves this recipe! I first shared this in 2020, it’s a great winter supper any day of the week, warming and tasty – you really do need to make it. The venison gives this mince dish a lovely rich flavour, whilst the addition of redcurrant jelly lends a subtle sweetness which is complemented beautifully by the roughly mashed celeriac. This is a recipe which I have taken from Tom Aikens cookbook, ‘Tom Aikens Cooking’ – although he is a Michelin starred chef, this is a very simple recipe.

*These days it is easy to buy venison from your butcher – just ask him to mince it for you (diced shoulder is the best cut for this).

400g venison mince

150ml olive oil

25g unsalted butter

3 carrots, peeled and diced small

2 onions, peeled and diced small

2-3 cloves garlic, sliced

150g button mushrooms, sliced

1 rounded tablespoon plain flour (gluten free if required)

2 level tablespoons of tomato purée

200ml chicken stock

200ml red wine

40g redcurrant jelly

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon each of chopped parsley, thyme and sage

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Place a casserole over a medium heat, add the oil , when hot add the mince and season with salt and pepper. Brown in the pan for about 5 minutes. Tip the mince into a colander with a bowl underneath to catch the juices.
2. Place the casserole back over the heat and return the drained juices to the pan with the butter. Cook the carrot for 5 minutes then add the onion and garlic and cook for a further 5-7 minutes until golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Return the mince to the casserole, add the flour stirring well and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a minute, then add the stock, red wine, redcurrant jelly, bay leaf and fresh herbs.
4. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring now and again.
5. Serve with the celeriac mash (recipe below).

Simple Celeriac Mash (Serves 4)

This  is what I call my ‘rough and ready’ celeriac mash – I also cook another recipe with potato and garlic which is more of a purée, so more refined (recipe here). This ‘rough and ready’ version is excellent for a quick midweek supper; the texture and flavour, with its hint of lemon, complements the venison mince perfectly.

500g celeriac, peeled and chopped into 2 cm pieces

35g unsalted butter

2 teaspoons chopped thyme

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (to taste)

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Place a pan over a medium heat, add the butter, when melted add the celeriac and thyme, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes adding the lemon juice halfway through cooking.
2. Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes until soft.
3. Mash and check seasoning (adding more lemon juice if required).