Venison stew

Stew season is upon us my friends. The rain, cold and cosy fires, at this time of year nothing beats coming home to the delicious aroma of cooking stew. I love stews because you can prep the morning of or night before, stick it all in a slow-cooker, and then come home to a yummy ready-to-go meal. You can load it full of whatever veggies you have available and beans or lentils for fibre. It’s also handy to freeze some potions for another time.

We are lucky enough to know hunters, and have plenty of wild deer here in New Zealand, and happen to have a freezer full of venison (that I helped carry out of the bush in my first ever hunting experience).

Venison is a high-source of protein and lower in saturated fats than other meats. It contains iron, zinc and B vitamins, making it a nourishing choice for stews.

It stew is simple and easy and can be modified with what ever you have.

Ingredients

500-800g of venison (diced)

1-2 carrots

1/2 head of broccoli (including stem)

1 large kumara

2-3 potatoes

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

3 cups of beef stock

1 tin of crush tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Dash of soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

Fresh or dried herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley)

1 cup of mixed beans and/or lentils (pre-soaked)

Method

1. Cut venison into chunks and put in slow cooker or crock pot

2. Cut up all vegetables and add

3. Add canned tomatoes and beef stock

4. Add herbs and spices, salt and pepper to taste

5. Dain beans/lentils and add

6. Mix and leave for 6-8 hours

7. Serve in bowls as it, or with sour dough bread