02/09/2026
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=122104753388510839&id=61565325197725
There is a smell that belongs to a Highland kitchen in early autumn 🍂 red wine going into a hot pan, juniper cracking under a spoon, and a heavy pot sliding into a low oven where it will sit, forgotten and patient, for most of the afternoon.
Venison has fed Scotland for as long as anyone has kept records of it. It is a lean meat, which is exactly why the old cooks braised it slowly and gave it something sweet at the end. A spoonful of redcurrant jelly and a splash of vinegar at the finish is not fussiness. It is the trick that makes the whole pot taste finished. 🥘
Serves 6 / About 3 hours
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 lb venison shoulder or haunch, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp beef dripping or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced
3 carrots, cut into thick rounds
2 celery stalks, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef or venison stock
8 juniper berries, lightly crushed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 strip orange zest
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
1 tbsp cider vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 325F.
2. Toss the venison with the flour, salt and pepper until every piece is lightly coated.
3. Heat the dripping in a heavy ovenproof pot over medium high heat. Brown the meat in three batches, about 4 minutes a batch, and lift each one out to a plate. Do not crowd the pan or the meat will steam instead of brown.
4. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.
5. Pour in the red wine, scraping the base of the pot clean, and let it bubble for 3 minutes.
6. Return the venison and any resting juices. Add the stock, juniper, thyme, bay leaves and orange zest. Bring to a bare simmer.
7. Cover tightly and transfer to the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the venison pulls apart under a fork.
8. Lift out the bay and thyme stalks. Stir in the redcurrant jelly and cider vinegar, taste for salt, and let it rest 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with mashed tatties or plain bread for the sauce. Leftovers keep 3 days covered in the fridge and should be reheated until steaming hot all through, at least 165F.
Every family seems to have its own finishing touch for a venison pot. Some swear by a spoonful of rowan jelly, others by a dark ale in place of the wine. I would love to know what goes in yours.
