Venison Sausage Pot

Sweet-sour Venison & Pork sausage Hot Pot. Recipe and photo: VDuBourdieu©2010

Sweet-sour Venison & Pork sausage Hot Pot. Recipe and photo: VDuBourdieu©2010

Sweet-sour Venison & Pork Sausage Pot

This is great comfort food, ideal for the end of summer blues.

It went down really well with a hearty, organic South African Cabernet Sauvignon from Sainsbury’s, about £6. Fairtrade. It would make sense to use organic ingredients in the food, too. The recipe serves two.

Ingredients

2-3 red onions
6 venison and pork sausages
8-10 baby potatoes
A dash or two of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey, Agave syrup or Demerara sugar
1 red pepper
¼ cup fresh tarragon; leaves removed from stalks and snipped small with scissors
Enough green leaves, i.e. watercress or rocket, to provide salad for two
Pickled capers
Lemon juice
Olive oil

Method

1.    Heat oven to 200C/180 fan/gas 6.
2.    Quarter the onions and cut peppers lengthwise into eight pieces. Sauté in a frying pan on top of the stove.
3.    When the vegetables start browning, add Balsamic vinegar, honey or other sweetener and sizzle briefly.
4.    Transfer the vegetables and wine to a Pyrex or pottery dish with a lid.
5.    If the potatoes are larger than a big marble, cut in half, and add to dish with sausages and tarragon. Mix everything up gently and cover with the lid.
6.    Cook for 25 mins or more, turning the sausages when they have browned on top.
7.    Serve with a peppery green salad and crusty bread.
8.    For dressing, blend 1/3 lemon juice to 2/3 olive oil with a pinch of salt, a twist of black pepper and the capers.

Chicken Liver Pâté with Sloe Gin

Chicken Liver Pâté with Sloe Gin. VDuBourdieu©2010

Chicken Liver Pâté with Sloe Gin. VDuBourdieu©2010

Ingredients
1lb (450g*) organic chicken livers, trimmed and cleaned
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 teasp. fresh oregano leaves (or thyme)
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
2 tablespoons (60mls) Sloe Gin (or brandy)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
8 oz (225g) organic butter
1 teasp. (5g) allspice or mace
Sea Salt and freshly milled pepper

Utensils & kitchenware
Chopping board
3-4 buttered cocotte (mini soufflé) dishes
Food blender or hand blender with glass mixing jug
Wooden spoon, tablespoon, teaspoon, garlic crusher, sharp knife, salt and pepper grinders
Small stainless steel pot and pyrex bowl to fit inside or a bain marie
Stainless steel or iron frying pan/wok

Method

  1. Brown trimmed chicken livers in pan, using 1oz (25g) of butter, and cooking about 2 minutes on each side or until they are just pink inside. Transfer to food blender.
  2. Melt 5oz (150g) of butter and add to blender.
  3. Add chopped shallots and crushed garlic** to pan; cook until transparent. Pour alcohol on shallot mixture and stir any residue in the pan until you have a sauce. Pour over chicken livers.
  4. Now add mustard, allspice or mace, oregano or thyme, and blend until the mixture is as smooth as you like it. Divide between buttered pots.
  5. Melt remaining 2oz (300g) of butter in bain marie, and pour over pate in pots to seal. Decorate with oregano flowers or a sprig of leaves.
  6. Cover with film (or Gladwrap in NZ) and keep in fridge until required.
  7. Serve with a good wholegrain toast or, if you prefer, Melba or Sicilian toast.

*Conversion rounded up for grams

**Thanks to Maggie Moriarty for spotting that the garlic had not gone in with Version One.