Spaghetti alla Salsa di Cervo
a.k.a. Bambi Bolognaise
Beef dishes made with venison have less fat and more flavour.
This one is a favorite of ours.
INGREDIENTS
- 500 gm Minced/ground Venison
- Red or white wine, dry hard cider or beef stock
- 250 gm Finely-chopped Onion
- 4 Tbs Tomato Purée
- 0-5 Cloves Garlic (to taste) Chopped
- 1-2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 250 gm Finely-chopped Mushrooms
- 3-5 Bay Leaves
- 2-3 Tbs Herbes de Provence
- 250 gm Grated Carrot
- Beef stock cube, salt, freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION
Sauté the onions, mushrooms and garlic in the olive oil until well softened. Add the venison and stir well until it has all (more or less) changed colour. Cover with dry cider or wine (red or white as preferred) or stock, but not too deeply. Add the stock cube (if you are using wine or cider), grated carrot, bay leaves and tomato purée and simmer very gently for at least three hours, stirring occasionally and replenishing the liquid (with more cider/wine/stock or just water) if it gets too dry.
The ideal is to have the sauce with little separate liquid when it is served - but not dry enough to scorch. It may be simmered on top of the stove, or in a very low oven, or in a slow cooker. The sauce is edible after about 40 minutes but is infinitely better flavoured and textured after three or four hours. In a slow cooker it can be cooked for eight hours. The flavour is even better if it is cooked, allowed to cool overnight, and reheated for 30 or 40 minutes but this is a council of perfection and not really necessary.
About 30-40 minutes before serving add the herbes de Provence, and adjust the salt (i.e. taste it and add more salt if you think it needs it). Just before serving remove the bay leaves (if you can find them) and add freshly ground black pepper. Serve over spaghetti cooked al dente (or whatever other pasta you prefer) and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serves 4-6.
It may, of course, be made with beef - when it becomes Sphagetti Bolognaise.
This is a recipe page on the James Bryant (G4CLF) Web-site.
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