Venison bolognese
A rich and silky-smooth Italian bolognese, best served with bucatini – a long, hollow pasta – to soak up all the sauce.
Ingredients
For the bolognese
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 2 celery sticks
- 4 garlic cloves
- 6–8 dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in boiling water then drained and chopped
- 2–3 Parmesan rinds
- small bunch fresh thyme
- 2 juniper berries, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 800g/1lb 12oz minced venison
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 400ml–500ml/14–18fl oz whole milk, enough to almost cover
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- freshly grated nutmeg
To serve
Method
To make the bolognese, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and porcini to a food processor and blend together.
Place a pan over a medium-low heat then add the blended vegetables along with the Parmesan rinds, thyme, juniper and bay. Sweat for 20 minutes to soften.
Add the venison and mix well, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
Add the tomato purée and cook out, for 2 minutes, then pour in the milk to almost cover. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes until tender.
Stir the butter into the bolognese and grate over a little nutmeg just before serving.
When ready to serve, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, drain and toss through the finished bolognese. Serve into bowls and grate generous amounts of Parmesan over the top.