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Provencal Red Wine Venison Stew with Herbs de Provence
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Servings: 6
Elegance from the Wild
Elevate your venison stew experience with this elegant Provencal rendition. Inspired by classic French cooking, this venison stew recipe transforms wild game into a tender, flavorful masterpiece, deeply braised in rich red wine with fragrant Herbs de Provence. It's a gourmet take on wild food, perfect for impressing guests and savoring a taste of Southern France.
Materials
- 2 lbs venison stew meat, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 4 oz bacon, diced into lardons
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 cups dry full-bodied red wine (e.g., Merlot or Côtes du Rhône)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Preparation
- Pat the venison cubes dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
- Dice bacon into lardons. Chop onion and slice carrots. Quarter mushrooms and mince garlic.
Cooking
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, cook the bacon lardons over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving rendered fat in the pot.
- Add olive oil to the pot if needed. Sear the floured venison in batches until browned on all sides. Remove venison and set aside.
- Add the chopped onion and sliced carrots to the pot. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and brown, about 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, allowing alcohol to evaporate.
- Stir in the beef broth, tomato paste, Herbs de Provence, and bay leaf. Return the venison and cooked bacon lardons to the pot.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, or until venison is fork-tender.
- Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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