The Main Event
Setting the scene:
Spiced braised venison with chilli & chocolate.
Roqué loved to cook for his best girl but sometimes he just couldn’t stand the heat of the kitchen and had to cool off! This hot, seductive dish with rich venison, chilli and chocolate had left him wearing only his Santa Claus hat. The dish was presented, ‘cap in hand’ in the glow of 12 shiny burgundy candles on a gold candelabra they had bought at a local car boot sale.
For 2 lovers
Get on with it…
Spiced braised venison with chilli & chocolate.
Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large heavy based pan, brown 1kg diced venison all over & then remove the meat with a slotted spoon.
Add into the pan 1 onion & 2 large carrots, both roughly chopped & sautée for 5 minutes.
Return the venison to the pan together with 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ch-illi powder, 1 small cinnamon stick & 1 red chilli, finely diced.
Stir everything together then add 400ml red wine, 250ml beef stock, 400g can chopped tomatoes, sprig of thyme & 2 bay leaves. Bring up the heat & then simmer gently for 1½ hours or until the venison is meltingly tender.
10 minutes before the end of cooking add 75g best dark chocolate, broken into small pieces & stir.
Serve the unctuous red meat in a shiny copper bowl with rosemary roast potatoes, maple glazed Brussels sprouts with bacon & all candles blazing. If that doesn’t light your fire, stoke it some more!
Ingredients available from www.waitrose.com.
Feed the desire…
Spiced braised venison with chilli & chocolate. “Venison has a mythical reputation: a testosterone-boosting superfood to power heroic feats of moonlit mating and general manliness” MDH
Venison boasts a balanced array of libido-boosting amino acids, zinc, iron & B Vitamins. There are few meats as lean or as high in protein as venison which has been shown to stimulate testosterone production.
Serve venison with a large glass of Claret & a roaring fire for perfect passion.
Remember to call your lover ‘darling’ as you share this dish and not ‘deer!’
