Rich, comforting, warming and utterly satisfying Venison Stew. Instructions given for slow cooking in the oven or for making in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. Best served with fluffy Suet Dumplings cooked on top where they'll have taken up some of the tasty, meaty gravy.
In a large frying pan (or using the Saute function on an Instant Pot [IP] electric pressure cooker), heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
When the oil is hot, add the smoked bacon pieces and cook until well browned (approx 10 min).
Remove the bacon from the pan or IP, leaving the fat behind.
If cooking the stew in the oven
transfer the bacon to a casserole dish and preheat the oven to 140 C/ 120 Fan / Gas 1
If using an IP transfer the bacon to a plate.
Add the butter to the frying pan or IP and heat it.
In a large container, season the flour sparingly with salt & plenty of black pepper. Tip in the venison chunks and stir/shake until the meat is lightly coated in flour.
In batches, brown the meat all over in the oil and butter. Transfer the browned venison to the casserole dish or plate to join the bacon. Add more olive oil as you go if needed.
When all the meat has been browned and set aside, add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic to the fat. Season with a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Saute, stirring regularly, until softening and starting to brown (10-15 min).
If cooking the stew in the oven
Transfer the softened vegetables to the casserole dish with the bacon and browned meat. De-glaze the frying pan with 200ml of the beef stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Tip it all into the casserole dish, along with the rest of the beef stock, the juniper berries and bay leaves. Stir well.
Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove then put in the preheated oven with a tight fitting lid on. Cook until the venison is very tender (2-3 hours). Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
If using an IP
Pour all of the beef stock into the IP, over the vegetables. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the juniper berries, bay leaves, the browned bacon and venison.
Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button, lock on the IP lid and make sure the lever is pointing to 'Sealing'. Press the Manual button then use the + / - buttons to set the time to 40 minutes.
Leave until the time has elapsed and the indicator has counted down to zero. Switch off and leave until the pressure has naturally released. Switch the lever to 'venting' then carefully remove the lid. If the venison is not completely soft, cook for a further 5 minutes then check again. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
NOTE stew can be cooled then refrigerated or frozen at this stage.
When the stew is cooked, take a bowl and add the flour, a pinch of salt, the suet and herbs if using. Stir together with a round-bladed knife.
Sprinkle a few tablespoons of cold water over the mixture, then bring it together into a soft dough, first using the knife then your hands. Add more water if needed.
Roll into 8 dumplings.
If cooking in the oven (or reheating on top of the stove)
With the stew at a low simmer, drop in the dumplings, replace the lid, and leave to cook for 20 minutes either in the oven or on top of the stove.
If using an IP I recommend transferring the stew to a casserole dish or saucepan and cook the dumplings in the oven or on top of the stove as above.
When the dumplings are cooked, sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve the stew and dumplings in bowls, with extra vegetables if liked.