Slow-cooked Venison Casserole

Perfect for the slow-cooker and requiring very little of your attention, this is a comforting stew using lean diced venison from ATHLEAT. We bulked up the stew with vegetables and you will love the little bursts of sweetness that come through from the corn added towards the end. For such a hearty meal, it is surprisingly low in calories. If you are not concerned about monitoring your carbs, quinoa or rice are great accompaniments too, else cooked cauli-rice always does the trick!

Makes 3 portions (or 2 servings with leftovers)

Ingredients

• 2 TB olive oil
• 450g ATHLEAT diced venison
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 TB red wine vinegar
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 250ml rich beef stock
• 2 tsp cornflour (mixed with dash cold water)
• few sprigs thyme
• 2 large courgettes, cut into chunks
• 100g frozen corn
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• cooked cauli-rice, optional to serve

Method

1. Heat a tablespoon olive oil in a large pan and brown the venison in batches until golden and crispy on the outside. You may need to use a second tablespoon for the second batch. Remove and set aside. (It’s important to get the diced meat well-browned, as it adds great flavour. If you crowd the pan, they will simply simmer in their juices and you won’t get the necessary browning.)
2. There should still be enough oil in the pan, so use this to gently fry the onions and carrots until the onions have caramelised and softened. Add the garlic halfway through – as garlic tends to burn quickly. You could add a small dash of stock (rather than adding more oil) if the mixture dries out and there is risk of burning.
3. Add the red wine vinegar which will deglaze the pan. Keep the pan on the heat until the vinegar has cooked out then transfer the mixture to a slow-cooker, along with the browned meat and the chopped tomatoes. Pour in the (hot) rich beef stock and stir in the cornflour mixture. Add the thyme and place the slow cooker on high for 90 minutes.
4. After 90 minutes, give the mixture a good stir, and add the courgettes – cook for an additional 90 minutes, adding the frozen corn in the last 10-15 minutes.
5. Season well and serve with cauliflower rice or any other sides of your choice!