Cubed meat / stew
Reindeer stew with wild mushrooms and cream
Reindeer cubes seared hard and folded into a mushroom and red wine sauce finished with cream and a spoonful of cranberry jam.
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the sliced onions.
Let them soften slowly for 8–10 minutes, until translucent, then add the garlic for a minute more. Scoop the onions and garlic out and set them aside.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and tip in the mushrooms.
Cook them for 8–10 minutes, until their liquid has cooked off and they're browning, then stir the onions and garlic back in and give it 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot.
Pour in the red wine and let it reduce by half, scraping as you go.
Stir in the stock, cranberry jam, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook 20 minutes so the flavours come together.
While the pot simmers, season the reindeer cubes generously with salt and pepper.
Heat a separate skillet with a little oil over medium-high heat and brown the cubes in batches, giving them room so they colour rather than steam. Set them aside.
Whisk the cream and flour together in a small bowl until smooth.
Pour it into the pot slowly, whisking so it doesn't catch or lump, and bring the stew back to a gentle simmer. Return the seared cubes, cover and cook 10–15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the reindeer is cooked through but still tender. Taste, season and serve hot with fresh herbs over the top.
Tips
- A splash of balsamic with the mushrooms pushes them earthier still.
- You can make this a day ahead and reheat it gently. Don't let it boil, or the reindeer turns tough.
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