The first time I truly understood venison shoulder was around a casserole dish gently simmering: it smelled of red wine, bay leaf, pepper… and that subtle forest aroma you don't find in any other meat. Since then, it's been my go-to dish whenever I'm craving a game stew, without spending all afternoon in the kitchen!
Here, I stick to the basics: sear well to brown, sweat aromatic vegetables, deglaze with red wine, then let it simmer. My little personal touch, subtle but effective: a square of dark chocolate (or a touch of cocoa) at the end of the sauce. It doesn't add sweetness, it softens the bitterness of the wine, and it gives incredible depth.
To stay true to tradition, I serve it with mushrooms and chestnuts: it's rustic, it has character, and it complements the venison without overpowering it. Plus, nutritionally speaking, you get lean meat rich in protein, iron, and B vitamins, while the mushrooms and chestnuts provide fiber and minerals.
If you're not a fan of a sauce that's too "wild," you can adjust the sauce in two ways without straying from the recipe: reduce it a little more to concentrate the flavors, and finish with a knob of butter to round them out. You'll still have the gamey taste, but in a milder, more refined version.
Roe deer shoulder
4
people17
minutes39
minutes504
kcal56
minutesA recipe for seared venison shoulder , then quickly simmered in red wine, with a light cocoa sauce and a garnish of mushrooms and chestnuts. The meat is meltingly tender, the jus is rich, and it has a hint of the forest floor, reminiscent of a hunt!
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Ingredients
900g of venison shoulder (boneless or in large pieces)
2 shallots
2 carrots
2 garlic cloves
250g of button mushrooms (or mixed forest mushrooms)
200g of cooked chestnuts (vacuum-packed or in a jar, drained)
30g of butter
1 tablespoon of neutral oil
25 cl of red wine
20 cl of veal stock (or a strong beef broth)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa
10g of 70% dark chocolate can replace
1 bay leaf
4 juniper berries (optional but very classic)
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of flour
Fine salt, freshly ground pepper
Equipment that may be useful to you
Preparation steps
- Prepare the filling: peel and finely chop the shallots. Dice the carrots. Crush the garlic. Clean the mushrooms and quarter them.
- Cut the venison shoulder into large cubes (4–5 cm) if it is not already cut into pieces. Dry the meat thoroughly with paper towels: this is key to a beautiful color.
- In a hot casserole dish, melt 15g of butter with the oil. Sear the meat in two batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until well browned. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the meat to a plate.
- In the same pot, add the shallots and carrots. Sauté for 4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and juniper berries, then stir for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle in the flour and mix for 1 minute (this will thicken the sauce without making it heavy). Add the tomato paste and mix for another 30 seconds.
- Deglaze with red wine: pour in, scrape the bottom well, then let it simmer for 4 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.
- Add the veal stock (or broth), return the meat and its juices to the pot. Partially cover and simmer gently for 22 to 24 minutes, until the meat begins to tenderize.
- Meanwhile, in a pan, sauté the mushrooms with the remaining 15g of butter for 6 to 7 minutes over fairly high heat until they are golden brown. Season lightly with salt at the end of cooking.
- Add the chestnuts and mushrooms to the casserole dish. Let it simmer for 6 minutes so that everything absorbs the juices.
- Finish the sauce: add the mustard and cocoa (or chocolate). Mix for 1 minute. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. If the sauce seems too thin, let it reduce uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve piping hot, with steamed potatoes, homemade mashed potatoes or fresh pasta, and generously coat with sauce.
📊 Nutritional Information
1 serving (approx. 410g)
| Nutrient | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories | 504 kcal |
| Proteins | 51g |
| Carbohydrates | 24g |
| including sugars | 8g |
| Lipids | 15g |
| including saturated fatty acids | 7g |
| Fibers | 5g |
| Sodium | 760mg |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin B12 | 160% AJR |
| Vitamin B3 | 75% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) |
| Vitamin B6 | 45% AJR |
| Minerals | |
| Iron | 55% AJR |
| Zinc | 45% AJR |
| Phosphorus | 55% AJR |
* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance
📝 Notes
If you have the time, take the venison out of the refrigerator 15 minutes beforehand so it can soften a bit: the searing will be more even. And if you happen to have juniper berries in a cupboard, that will be the little "click" that makes it taste like game.
💡 Chef's Tips
To prevent the shoulder from drying out after 60 minutes, maintain a very gentle simmer (do not boil). And thoroughly dry the venison before searing it: the sauce will be more flavorful thanks to the juices.
🔄 Variations
- Alcohol-free recipe: replace the wine with 20cl of red grape juice + 5cl of wine vinegar, and add a little more stock.
- “Classic” venison shoulder: add 1 small piece of smoked bacon (80g) at the beginning of cooking with the shallots.
