Venison Meatball & Vege Bake

Chop a mixture of carrots, parsnips, pumpkin (or any root vegetables) into bite size pieces. Drizzle over olive oil and mix through. Put into oven at 200c to start cooking.

Meanwhile make meatballs:

500 gms venison mince (we were lucky to have some wild venison mince given to us).

1 egg beaten lightly

1 small onion finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1tsp mixed herbs (dried or fresh)

 Mix together mince, tomato past, egg, herbs and season. Using wet hands roll into large balls (I made about 8) and then coat in plain flour.

 Fry in a small amount of olive oil until nicely browned on all sides.

 Take veges out of oven and turn all over. Place meatballs on top and brush with glaze made of tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce (or you can use soya sauce for less spice) and a bit of coffee.

 Return to oven and cook altogether for a further 20-30 mins.

 Serve with mushrooms that have been sauted in a little butter, then swirled in cream.

Brunch after lamb shanks

After the lamb shanks and creamy mash, there were of course left overs. A great way to use them up is for brunch the next day!

 Into the mashed potato and green beans beat an egg. Create into flat cakes in a pan on medium heat. When nice and brown underneath, flip over and cook the second side.

 To serve, stack potato cakes, top with caramelised onion and add a few cherry tomatoes.

Lamb Shanks in the Crockpot

Using a tiny amount of extra virgin olive oil, brown lamb shanks on all sides. (This can mean needing to standing and hold them with tongs for a while). When sufficiently browned, pop them into the crockpot.

 Using the same pan, saute onions, garlic and sliced leek slowly until golden.

 Add to shanks in crockpot, along with a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste, 1/2 cup red wine, chopped carrots, celery and 1 cup of beef stock.

 Let cook for a good long time. (I had it on high for about 6 hours). The longer the more tender the meat.

Serve with steamed green veges, and creamy mashed potatoes with wafer thin slices of paremsan on top. (For mashed potato, cook agria potatoes cut into chunks until they are very soft. Pour off water and add about 2 tabspoons butter. Leave to melt for a few minutes before mashing until no lumps are left. Add a good quantity of cream and then milk if you want it softer. Whip with the masher until it is soft and very creamy.)

A few cherry tomatoes add more colour, texture and flavour.