Venison and wild mushroom stew with olive oil mash

2kg shoulder of venison 1 x 750ml bottle of Spanish red wine Olive oil, for frying 1 carrot, roughly chopped 1 celery stick, roughly chopped 1 onion, roughly chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 2 bay leaves 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 sprig fresh rosemary 1 sprig fresh marjoram 5 black peppercorns 2 cloves ½ cinnamon stick 25ml (1tbsp + 2 tsp) brandy 500g wild mushrooms 570ml (2¼ cups) beef stock Salt For the mashed potatoes 1kg waxy potatoes 200g butter 100ml olive oil 100ml double cream Salt and freshly ground pepper In autumn and winter my uncles and cousins would go hunting in the mountains of Madrid, but not all of us liked hunting, so we used to pick mushrooms along the way.

This was a dish that would be on the table a couple of days later, after we’d chopped up and marinated the animal.

Cut the venison into big chunks and leave to marinate overnight in the red wine.

The next day, drain the wine and reserve it for later. Heat some olive oil in a deep pan or roasting tray over a high heat and fry the venison pieces to seal them.

Remove and set aside. If you plan to slow-cook the stew in the oven, preheat it to 160°C. Add a little more oil to the pan and add the carrot, celery and onion. Cook for 20 minutes until caramelised and then add the tomatoes, herbs and spices.

Return the meat to the pan and pour over the brandy and reserved wine. Cook until reduced by half. Add the wild mushrooms and the beef stock and season with a little salt. Bring to the boil and then cover. Slow-cook the stew either over a low heat or in the oven for at least 3 hours, until the meat falls apart and you have an unctuous and rich sauce. Leave the oven on.

To make the mashed potatoes, peel, wash and cut the potatoes into even slices and place them in a large pan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook for about 15 minutes until soft, drain and return to the same pan. Set over a low heat for 1 minute to dry.

Add the butter, salt and pepper and start mashing using a whisk. Add the olive oil and cream and mix.

Tip onto a baking sheet and bake on the top shelf of the oven for 20 minutes, so that it crisps up and lightly browns. Serve hot with the venison stew.

Recipe from Spanish Made Simple: Foolproof Spanish Recipes for Every Day by Omar Allibhoy. – The Independent