Venison is a good, protein-packed alternative to beef, as it contains iron, vitamin B6, niacin and riboflavin just like beef, but it offers more vitamins and minerals per serving.
Using roasted chestnuts for the sauce gives it an unusual twist and also adds vitamins B and C to this dish, as well as folic acid.
Ingredients (Makes 10-12 skewers)
500g (1lb 2oz) venison rump, roughly 2cm cubed
For the sauce:
1 medium red onion, diced
400ml coconut milk
200g chestnuts, roasted, peeled, roughly chopped
Thumb-sized piece of ginger, freshly grated
1 lemon, zest and juice
4tsp Ras-El-Hanout spice mix
3tsp mushroom ketchup
Butter
Oil
Cornish sea salt
Method
To make the sauce:
Sauté the onions in butter and oil on a low to medium heat for at least 20 minutes, so they are soft and gooey.
Once the onions are ready, stir in the Ras-El-Hanout, ginger, mushroom ketchup, and lemon zest and juice to create a paste. Sauté for a few minutes to infuse.
Add the chestnuts and coconut milk and stir. Turn up the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.
Once the sauce has thickened season to taste if needed.
To make the venison:
Coat the diced venison in the sauce and skewer, but hold back some of the sauce for later. If you can, prepare this in advance to give the meat a chance to marinate.
You can pan fry the venison, but it’s best cooked over hot coals or an open fire, as the smoke adds another dimension. To cook to medium rare, BBQ over a hot heat – turning regularly until the sauce starts to slightly char all over.
Serve with the remainder of the sauce warmed and ready for dipping.
