Venison Stew

“‘You can stand by the fire as long as you like. You’ll have food and drink, too. Hot mulled wine and a bowl of venison stewed with onions, and Hobb’s bread right out of the oven, so hot it will burn your fingers.’ Sam peeled off a glove to wriggle his own fingers near the flames…” -A Storm of Swords

After episode 3.6, where Sam longingly describes this stew, I decided to finally get the venison and have a go at it. Fortunately, it coincided with a bit of a cooler spell here in Boston, which suited the heartiness of this stew perfectly.

While this particular description of the stew is fairly limited, there are others throughout the books that contain other tidbits. In other passages, descriptions of Hobb’s venison stew includes carrots and barley, and in the south, it’s stewed with beer. So, everything went into the pot, along with a few more additions of my own.

I used spent grain from brewing (see link below) for the barley component, because I can’t imagine the Night’s Watch letting anything go to waste. It gave the stew a unique texture, and was the source of some of those black flecks you see in the photo. The bacon, I’ll admit, was also my addition, but I don’t think anyone who has read the books can fault me for that. Everything tastes better with bacon. :)

The resulting stew is thick, hearty, and filling- just the thing for a cool night in the North. It’s wonderful with a hunk of rustic bread and a sharp cheese, and a flagon of the same beer that went into the recipe.

Venison Stew Recipe

Ingredients:

3 strips bacon
1 lb. venison (I used ground, but use any small cut you like)
2 Tbs. butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup peas
3 cups broth
1 bottle dark beer (12 oz/335 ml)
1 cup spent grain, or other barley of your choice, cooked according to its own directions
1 cup small boiler onions, peeled
1/2 tsp. smoked salt
1/2 tsp. savory, or thyme
1 Tbs. flour

Cook the bacon in a medium frying pan. Take out the cooked bacon, reserving the grease, and chop the bacon into small pieces. Brown the venison meat in the bacon grease, then pour it all into a medium pot, along with the bacon bits. In the same frying pan, melt 1 Tbs. butter. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, until it’s not quite browned. Add the carrots and peas, stir to coat with butter, then pour in 1 cup of broth. Cover, and simmer for a few minutes, until the carrots are tender. Add this mixture, along with the rest of the broth, the beer, barley, onions, and seasoning.

If you’d like the stew to be a little thicker, make a roux: melt the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and add to it the 1 Tbs. flour. Stir to combine over medium heat. When the butter-flour looks bubbly and golden (under a minute), begin to add ladlesful of broth, whisking to combine. This should create a thick mixture that can be poured back into your stew. Cook the stew for at least 1 1/2 hours on medium-low heat. Enjoy with some sharp cheese and rustic bread. If you’re using spent grains in the stew, consider also using them in the bread!

Venison Stew – Outlander

“Also a large boiling kettle, whose Acquisition we have Celebrated with a great quantity of tasty Stew, made with Venison, wild Onions from the wood, dried beans, and likewise some Tomatoe-fruits, dried from the Summer. None of us Died or suffered Ill-effects from Eating of the stew, so Claire is likely right, Tomatoes are not Poison.” -Drums of Autumn, by Diana Gabaldon

Venison Stew

Thoughts:

This post is from a guest swap I originally did with Outlander Kitchen. She cooked up a little Westerosi chowder, and I got to play with food from a terrific book series.

The finished stew is absolutely delicious. It’s thick, savory, and just unusual enough to be intriguing. The venison becomes mouthwateringly tender, while the dried tomatoes soften and soak up the broth. The roux magically enhances the stew, giving it a wonderfully rich consistency.

Rustic and hearty, it’s completely believable as a stew that Jamie, Claire, family, and tenants would enjoy on Fraser’s Ridge. A few herbs and vegetables from Claire’s garden, along with some dried beans and tomatoes, a bit of home brewed beer, and fresh venison that Jamie shot. I imagine that the broth would be made from the bones of the deer, since nothing is wasted

Like most stews, it’s better the second day, after the flavors have had time to meld together.

Venison Stew Recipe

Suggested pairings: spruce beer, bread and sweet butter, black currant jam, round of goat cheese, elderflower wine

1 1/2-2 lbs venison cut into 1 inch cubes
4 cloves garlic fine chopped
2 spring onions medium diced
2 carrots medium diced
1 cups dry kidney beans
1 cup sun dried tomatoes, cut into medium-small chunks
1 bottle of your favorite ale, red or brown (we used Celebrator Dopplebock)
3 cups venison or beef stock
1 large pinch rosemary or other savory herb, fine chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Splash of maple syrup
1 batch of roux ( 2 Tbs. each of butter and flour mixed together )

Combine the tomatoes and beans in a medium bowl and cover with 3 cups water. Allow to soak for at least an hour, and save the broth!

In a stock pot, heat 2 Tbs. bacon fat. Add meat, brown on both sides, remove from pot, and set aside. Add onions, garlic, and carrots to the stock pot with a splash of the tomato broth. Cook 5 minutes, covered. Deglaze pot with ale and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the browned venison, stock, beans, rosemary, tomatoes, splash of maple syrup, and the tomato broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer one hour OR until meat is tender. Bring back to a boil. In a separate pan, mix the butter and flour for your roux, and let it cook for about a minute, until golden. While whisking the roux, add a few ladles of the stew broth, which will thicken when it combines with the roux. Pour the thickened sauce back into the main pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Venison Pies

Medieval Venison Pies

“Such food Bran had never seen… venison pies chunky with carrots, bacon and mushrooms…” –A Clash of Kings

Modern Venison Pies

Thoughts:

In a slight break from our usual style, I’ve actually stayed true to the medieval recipe, not adding the extra ingredients detailed in the book; the medieval recipe is just so quirky and specific that I wanted to try it as it was meant to be eaten. In the modern version, however, I’ve added in the carrots, bacon, and mushrooms to match the description.

The medieval version is quite strange. However, take a delicious meat, and smother it with butter, and there’s only so much that time can alter. The spices are quite a bit sweeter than those in the modern version, and go well with the butter. The rye crust, we decided, is like many medieval crusts, and is meant more as a container than it is meant to be eaten. I’d be curious (and may try it at some point) just how long it would keep, as it is essentially potted venison in a pastry container.

In contrast, the modern version is savory, bursting at the seams with venison, veg, and bacon. With such a variety of ingredients, each bite is different from the last in composition. The crust is wonderfully delicate and flaky, making it as enjoyable to eat as the filling. To be fair, though, this isn’t the best way to showcase venison, as it is just an element of the pie instead of the star of the dish. Also, rather than make a whole venison pie, we opted for this recipe to make several smaller hand pies. They might not fit in as well at a feast in Winterfell, but they’re ideal for snacks and lunches.

The Winner? I’d give it to the modern pasties, but the old version is fun to try.

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It’s good to be the King… Robert Baratheon’s Ideal Meal

No wonder King Robert is so large, and there’s little question why the crown was six million gold dragons in debt.

Cheese.

And ale. And venison, mead, bacon, wine, tarts, and a plethora of other tasty, tasty foodstuffs. This meal left two of us utterly stuffed. The roasted veg were all soft and delicious, slightly caramelized from cooking in duck fat and cider. The venison was simply mindblowing. I have no words. The desserts were a wonderful conclusion, and proof of my theory that dessert occupies a different space in the stomach than does dinner. Sweet and delicious, we managed several of each before succumbing to a sensory overload. The honeycakes (forthcoming!) were absolutely divine, though. The Menu

Tywin’s Rack of Venison

Tywin’s Rack of Venison

Our Thoughts:

Although rack of venison is not specifically mentioned in A Song of Ice and Fire, venison is mentioned often and would be an obvious food source through most of Westeros. In episode seven of the television series, viewers meet Tywin Lannister, and, in a slightly heavy-handed metaphor, he is skinning a deer carcass. We’d like to think a man of his refined tastes would enjoy his venison ribs prepared in a manner similar to that of our recipe.

When ordering venison ribs, be prepared for their ridiculous size. Usually frenched by the butcher, ribs acquired straight from the hunter, as these were, are undressed. The long cook time of this recipe tenderizes even the stringy bits between the ribs, creating a delicious, authentic eating experience. The loin meat was succulent and sweet, offset by a bit of gaminess. Overall, this is a wonderfully sweet seasonal dish.

This post is especially for the Gillespies, who insisted on venison. :)

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Baked Venison

” Season might pass without a singer ever coming to play for us, and there’s not a goldsmith on the island. Even meals became a trial. My cook knew little beyond his roasts and stews, and Lynesse soon lost her taste for fish and venison.” (Clash of Kings)

Medieval Baked Venison

Modern Baked Venison

Our Thoughts

Venison is a very lean meat that should always be cooked with a fat to retain moisture. The medieval venison recipe is something from heaven. As we all know, everything is better with bacon, and this venison was no different. We had small venison steaks available for this recipe. and the bacon taste overwhelmed the venison a bit, but this can probably be countered by using a larger roast type cut. The modern recipe really showcases the taste and texture of the venison. The added fat from the butter prevents the meat from drying out in the oven, but does not create a greasiness to the venison. Both recipes are certainly worth making, and don’t forget to save your leftovers for venison pie- it’s wonderful!