Spicy Venison Steak Pot by Jose Souto

Ingredients

• 1 x 150g Venison Haunch Steak
• Light olive oil for frying
• 50g Venison trim
• 200ml Venison or dark chicken stock
• 1/2 Red onion sliced
• 1 Garlic cloves
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Smk Paprika picante or chilli powder
• ½ tbsp Tika Curry paste
• 1 ½ tsp Tomato paste
• 300ml Passata
• 8 Cherry tomatoes
• 50g spinach (or when in season wild garlic)

Method

1. Take the venison steak remove any sinew and dice into 2 cm dice. Place some oil in a deep wide pan and allow it to become smoking hot.
2. Season the venison and fry off half the venison allowing it to seal with colour quickly on all sides but not cook then remove from pan and keep to one side. Repeat with the rest of the venison. Each time remove the sealed venison reheat the pan smoking hot before sealing the next batch.
3. Take the venison trim and fry off in the same way at a high heat once well coloured add stock place to one side to simmer, the venison trim will reinforce the stock and give it a depth of flavour.
4. Take another sauce pan and add a little more oil, allow to get hot but not too hot as we are now going to cook without colour. To the oil add the red onion and garlic cook without colour for 5 to 6 min.
5. Now add the Cumin and Smoked Paprika or chilli powder and cook for a further 2 to 3 min allowing the spices to release their flavour, follow this with the curry paste, another 2 to 3 min cooking and then the tomato paste stirring well and being careful so that it does not burn.
6. Bring the venison/ chicken stock to the boil pass it to remove the venison trim then stir this in followed by the Passata bringing it all to the boil then turning down to a rolling simmer. Allow the sauce to cook out ad reduce to the consistency of double cream.
7. Once the sauce has reached the required consistency add the venison and bring back up to boil stirring well and correct the seasoning. As the sauce comes to the boil turn it down to a simmer for 8 min.
8. Bring some salted water to the boil. Pick the spinach leaves so as to remove the storks and wash well. Blanch the leaves in the boiling water for 30 seconds then remove and refresh in ice cold water. Once the spinach is refreshed squeeze well and to get all the access water out.
9. Add the cherry tomatoes to the stew and cook for another 6 min.
10. Separate the spinach and drop it in bit by bit into the sauce.
11. Correct seasoning if need be and serve.