Seasonal Game Hotpot

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Medium

Preparation time: 45 mins

Cooking Time: 150 mins

Serve with seasonal veg, like red cabbage and roasted leek.

• 500g/1lb 2oz diced venison
• 4 pheasant or partridge breasts, cut in half
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 900g/2lb floury potatoes,such as Maris Piper or King Edward's, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 600ml/1pt game or beef stock
• 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 25g/1oz butter, melted
• For the marinade:
• 150ml/¼pt red wine vinegar
• 450ml/16fl oz gutsy red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with a little salt
• 8 toasted juniper berries

Combine the marinade ingredients and marinate the meat in the fridge overnight or for at least 3 hours.

Drain, retaining the marinade. Pat the meat dry.

Heat a little olive oil in a wide, deep flameproof casserole dish and brown the venison, then remove to a plate.

Add the pheasant or partridge, more olive oil if necessary and brown all over.

(You may have to cook the meat in batches). Remove and set aside.

Drain most of the oil from the dish and place a layer of potato on the bottom.

Lay the venison on top, sprinkle with some of the thyme, season and add a lyare of onions.

Top with potato, then the game breasts, the remaining thyme, seasoning and more onion.

Meanwhile, simmer the reserved marinade for 10 mins with the stock and redcurrant jelly until the jelly has dissolved and the alcohol boiled off.

Strain this over the hotpot, then add a final layer of potato.

Brush with the melted butter. Cover with a lid or wrap in foil and cook in the over for 11/2 hours

Remove the lid, increase heat to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and cook for a further 30 mins until golden.

180 deg C - fan,
160 deg C - glass, 350 deg F, gas mark 4,
Aga - moderate oven

Recipe by Anthony Worrall Thompson – BBC Good Food, December 2005