RoastedWildVenison

5-6 pounds bone-in leg of venison 8-10 cups root vegetables (onions, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, etc.)

MARINADE

1 cup plain yogurt 2 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons amchur

MASALA

2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons ground nigella seeds

(kalonji) 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon bark ¼ cup butter (or olive oil)

Instructions: Marinate the venison leg with yogurt, salt and amchur for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the venison leg in a large and deep baking pan and rub the masala ingredients over it. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the top parts start to brown.

Take the venison out of the oven and wrap tightly in foil. Add thickly sliced onions to the bottom of the baking pan. Reduce the temperature to 250 degrees and return the venison to the oven. Cook for 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender.

Thirty minutes before the venison is done, add big wedges or chunks of root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots or Brussels sprouts.

Turn the temperature back up to 400 degrees and finish cooking the venison for 10 more minutes — meat should be tender and roasted brown on the outside and the vegetables should turn golden brown. Take the baking pan out of the oven and let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

NOTES & VARIATIONS

• Amchur is dried green mango — the enzymes in mango work as a meat tenderizer during marination. The venison can rest in the marinade for up to 24 hours.

• Kalonji, or nigella seeds, have an incredible smoky flavor that works really well with slow-cooked meats.

• The cooking times of the meat will vary depending on how young the animal is — the older the animal, the tougher the meat and the longer it will take to cook.

• Serve the venison with cranberry or mango chutney.

Makes 6-8 servings