JUNIPER BERRIES RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. The Navajo love their lamb and mutton, but back in the day – at the right times of the year – they’d also get out there and hunt things like elk, which they’d stew with wild juniper berries. What’s amazing for me is that thousands of miles away in Britain we were hunting deer for venison and stewing that with juniper too. I guess some combos are just brilliant, no matter where you live. Don’t worry if you can’t get venison, because stewing beef will also be delicious. Really nice served with some rice, beans, a jacket potato or flatbreads, or, if you’re a bit more traditional, some nice steamed greens. A humble but delicious stew.
  2. Dust a chopping board with 2 tablespoons of flour and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and toss your chunks of meat through this mixture until well coated. Heat a large pan on a high heat, add a few lugs of olive oil and fry your meat for 3 minutes to brown it. Add your chopped onions, carrots, celery, crushed juniper berries, rosemary and the knob of butter. Add a few tablespoons of water, give everything a good stir, then pop the lid on the pan and let everything steam for 4 to 5 minutes so the flavours really mingle together.
  3. Take the lid off so your meat and veg start to fry, and stir every so often for 5 to 10 minutes. Chop your parsley stalks finely, and once the onions start to caramelize, add them to the pan with your remaining 2 tablespoons of flour and your crumbled stock cubes. Stir, and pour in enough water to cover the mixture by a couple of inches. Put the parsley leaves aside for later.
  4. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to medium low so that the stew is just simmering. Add your potatoes and slow cook for at least 2 hours with the lid slightly askew, or until the meat falls apart easily. Keep an eye on it as it cooks, and add splashes of water if you think it looks too dry.
  5. Put your chopped garlic in the middle of a chopping board. Add most of your parsley leaves with a teaspoon of sea salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper. Chop everything together so you get a kinda chunky paste. Add this to the stew and stir through. Chop the last of your parsley leaves and sprinkle over before serving.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  2. Heat a lug of olive oil in a large ovenproof pan on a low heat. Peel and slice the onions and fry gently for about 10 minutes until nice and sweet. Don’t let them colour too much.
  3. Meanwhile, peel and chop the garlic and carrots, and trim and chop the celery.
  4. Turn the heat up, then add the butter, garlic, carrot and celery. Peel, roughly tear up and add the mushrooms. Mix everything together.
  5. Cut the venison into 2cm cubes, pick and chop the rosemary leaves and bash the juniper berries in a pestle and mortar. Stir in the venison, rosemary, bashed-up juniper berries and bay leaves. Pick in the thyme leaves and add a pinch of sea salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
  6. Fry everything quickly for 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in the ale. Stir in the flour and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, pop the lid on and place in the oven for about 2½ hours, giving it a stir from time to time.
  7. The perfect pie filling should have tender meat in a rich, dark, thick stew. So if, when you remove it from the oven, it’s still quite liquidy, place the pan on the hob and reduce for 15 minutes or so until it thickens up a bit.
  8. Evenly roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it is the thickness of a pound coin. Tip the stew in the pie dish and place the pastry on top of the pie.
  9. Criss-cross the top of the pastry lightly with a sharp knife. Brush the top with beaten egg.
  10. Pop the pie on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the pastry is well cooked, puffed-up and golden – then tuck in and enjoy!