Venison chilli

The deep game flavour of the venison works really well with the spices and chocolate in this recipe.

3 HOURS 30 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | EASY |

dried chipotle and guajillo chillies 3 of each

olive oil 1 tbsp

venison shoulder 750g, cut into chunky pieces

onions 2, finely chopped red and green peppers 1 of each, cut into chunks

garlic 6 cloves, finely chopped

cinnamon stick 1

ground cumin 1 tbsp

tomato purée 1 tbsp

chopped tomatoes 400g tin

kidney beans 2 x 400g tins, drained and rinsed

dark chocolate 50g, finely grated

basmati rice to serve soured cream, lime wedges and coriander leaves to serve

1 Put the dried chillies into a small bowl and pour over enough justboiled water to cover the chillies. Soak for 15 minutes, then drain well, cut open each chilli and discard the stems and seeds.

2 Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat and season the venison well. Fry, in batches, for 5-6 minutes or until really browned, then use a slotted spoon to scoop out onto a plate.

3 Turn down the heat slightly and tip in three-quarters of the onions and peppers with a pinch of salt, and cook gently for 10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the chillies, cinnamon, cumin and tomato purée, and cook for another minute.

4 Return the venison to the pan and tip in the tomatoes and a full tin of water. Season generously, bring to the boil then reduce to simmer, put on a lid and cook gently for 2 hours.

5 Remove the lid, add the beans and cook gently for another hour until thickened and the venison is very tender. Stir in the chocolate, then season.

6 Spoon into bowls and serve with rice, soured cream, lime wedges, coriander leaves and the remaining chopped onions.

PER SERVING 535 kcals | fat 13.6G saturates 5.1G | carbs 39G | sugars 16.5G fibre 17.7G | protein 55.1G | salt 0.3G