Serves 6
2 dried ancho chillies (if you can’t find these, use dried birds eye chillies or any other variety, to taste)
2-2½kg venison shoulder
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp chilli powder
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
2-3 squares of dark chocolate
For the cornbread:
160g flour
180g cornmeal/polenta
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
300ml buttermilk
2 eggs
50g butter, melted
1 tbsp pickled jalapeños or green chillies, chopped
To serve:
Sour cream
6 spring onions, chopped
1 bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
Tortilla chips
- Soak the dried chillies in a bowl of cold water.
- Remove the bone from the venison and dice the meat into 2cm cubes (or ask your butcher to do this for you).
- In a heavy, large dry casserole, roast the cumin seeds on high heat until they give off a strong, toasty aroma. Use a spice grinder or pestle and mortar to grind these seeds into a powder.
- Heat two tablespoons of oil in the casserole and cook the onion, garlic and fresh chillies for 3-5 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat.
- Heat the remaining oil in a separate pan. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides. Add to the casserole once coloured.
- Add the cumin, chilli powder, tomatoes, oregano and enough water to cover. Chop the soaked chillies and add to the casserole with their water.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat and skim off any froth that rises to the top.
- Simmer, covered, for 2½ hours, occasionally skimming off any fat that rises to the top. Once cooked, stir in the dark chocolate.
- For the cornbread, preheat the oven to 230˚C/210˚C fan/gas mark 8. Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, then stir into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Grease a 23cm cast-iron pan and dust with cornmeal. Pour in the cornbread batter and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Serve the stew with the cornbread, some sour cream, spring onions, coriander and tortilla chips, for dipping.
Per Serving:
780kcals, 24.4g fat (8.5g saturated), 9.7g carbs, 5.2g sugars, 122.6g protein, 1.8g fibre, 0.182g sodium