Venison & cavolo nero lasagne
Venison & cavolo nero lasagne
This is an autumnal twist on the classic beef dish, which our chefs came up with to make good use of venison during game season. Cavolo nero is ready in the market garden at the end of autumn and lasts all through the winter, so it’s around at the same time and, by adding a layer of it to the lasagne rather than serving it alongside, you turn the dish into a complete meal. Fresh lasagne is always best, but you could also use the dried sheets that don’t need pre-soaking.
SERVES 6 8 PREP 15 mins COOK 2 hrs 10 mins MORE EFFORT 5 tbsp olive oil
1kg venison mince
2 red onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp tomato purée 300ml red wine
200g can chopped tomatoes 1.2 litres chicken stock
30g butter
240g cavolo nero, large stems
removed and roughly chopped 12 lasagne sheets
20g parmesan, grated
For the béchamel sauce
1 litre milk
2 cloves
30g onions, inely chopped 125g butter
125g plain lour
200g cheddar, grated
1 tbsp English mustard 1 Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large pan and fry the mince with a pinch of salt over a high heat until browned. Drain any fat that’s released and set aside.
2 Put another 2 tbsp of the oil in the pan and fry the red onions and garlic for 5 mins until softened. Add the tomato purée and red wine, then simmer over a medium heat to reduce the liquid by half, about 3-5 mins. Tip in the tomatoes and cooked mince. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, skim o any fat on the surface, then lower the heat and cook for 45 mins-1 hr until reduced. Season.
3 Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil and the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cavolo nero and cook for 5 mins until wilted. Season and set aside. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
4 Meanwhile, make the béchamel sauce. Warm the milk in a small pan with the cloves and onions. Remove from the heat before it reaches a simmer and leave to infuse for 20 mins. Melt the butter in another pan, whisk in the flour and cook for 5 mins over a low heat, continuing to stir until golden brown. Strain in the milk and continue to cook gently, still whisking, for a further 3 mins until smooth. Stir in the cheese and mustard, then season and remove from the heat.
5 Spoon a third of the mince mixture into an ovenproof dish (about 25cm x 15cm, and 6cm deep), and cover with 4 lasagne sheets. Repeat using half of the remaining mince and another 4 lasagne sheets. Finally, spoon in the rest of the mince, followed by the cavolo nero. Cover with the remaining pasta sheets, then pour over the béchamel sauce and sprinkle over the parmesan. Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins until golden brown.
GOOD TO KNOW calcium • iron • ibre • vit c •
1 of 5-a-day
PER SERVING (8) 867 kcals • fat 43g • saturates 23g • carbs 57g • sugars 11g • ibre 6g • protein 52g • salt 2.4g