How to make venison potjie served with buttered samp and beans

Try this hearty potjie with a rich, gamey flavour and a traditional African side.

Although the gamey flavour of the venison gives this potjie a deep richness, beef will work equally well here. Samp and beans have great texture and, with a little rosemary and butter, make an inexpensive side dish.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
500g venison shoulder or leg, cubed
250g smoked bacon, cubed
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
6 allspice berries
Pinch ground ginger
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1⁄2 cup dried peaches, chopped
2 Tbsp vinegar
4 cups beef stock
1 x bouquet garni
100g baby button mushrooms
200g samp and beans, soaked in water overnight
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp chopped rosemary
Salt and white pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pot until smoking hot, and brown the venison and bacon until golden. Deglaze the pot with the wine, scraping the caramelised meat off the bottom. Add the spices, onion, garlic, peaches, vinegar, stock and bouquet garni. Cover and simmer gently over a low heat for 3-4 hours until tender. Towards the end of the cooking process, stir in the mushrooms.

To make the samp, boil the pre-soaked samp and beans in salted water until tender. Drain and set aside. Just before serving, heat the butter in a saucepan with the rosemary until fragrant. Stir in the samp, season to taste with salt and white pepper and serve.

Top Tip: A bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs that is added to casseroles, stocks, sauces and soups. It traditionally comprises parsley or parsley stalks (these have so much flavour), a few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf. These herbs may be bundled and tied with a strip of leek or a piece of celery stalk, or tied in a muslin bag or with string, to keep them together during cooking and allow easy removal before serving.