Hail To the Chef

reprinted from the Compost NewsLetter

Civet de Biche

Venison Stew (in honor of the Horned One)

To make the stock:
10 pounds venison bones
2 medium onions
3-4 carrots
6 stalks celery
2 heads garlic
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 bay leaves
20 black peppercorns
1/4 cup dry thyme

Brown the venison bones in a 350 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 or 20 minutes. Roughly chop the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Roast with the bones for the last 1/2 hour or 45 minutes. Put the bones, vegetables and tomato paste into a large stock pot and cover generously with water. Bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so that the stock simmers gently. Skim well then add the herbs. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 hours, skimming the surface from time to time. Strain the stock, discarding the bones.

To marinate the meat:
5 pounds venison meat
1 large onion
2 or 3 carrots
3 stalks of celery
1 head garlic, peeled
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh marjoram
3 or 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 bay leaves
12 black peppercorns
15 to 20 juniper berries
1 750-ml bottle full-bodied red wine

Use the shoulder, neck or leg for the stew. Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes trimming away any large pieces of fat or gristle. Peel and cut the vegetables into large dice. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Pour in the red wine. Be sure there is enough wine to generously cover all the ingredients. Cover and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Stir the meat and vegetables 2 or 3 times during the marinating period.

To cook the stew:
Preheat oven to 325 degree. Remove the meat from the marinade. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Season the meat with salt and black pepper. Dust with 1 or 2 cups of flour, be sure to completely coat the meat with the flour. Heat a large, heavy pot on medium high heat. Brown the meat in small batches on all sides. When all the meat is browned, pour in the marinade with vegetables. While the marinade is coming to a boil, scrape the browned meat particles from the bottom of the pot. When the marinade comes to a boil there will be a large quantity of foam on the surface. Skim the foam and boil the marinade on high heat until reduced by two-thirds. Put the meat back in the pot and add enough stock to cover the meat and vegetables. Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Bring the stew to a simmer. Cover and cook in the preheated oven for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Skim the fat from the surface and stir the stew about once every half hour. The meat should be very tender but not falling apart when the stew is done. For a civet of this type, the meat is removed from the sauce, the vegetables discarded, then the meat and sauce recombined to warm for service. A fresh vegetable garnish is cooked separately.

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