How to cook venison successfully?

The arrival of autumn marks the season of pumpkins, pears, but also game! Particularly popular, especially during the end-of-year holidays, venison is appreciated for the finesse of its flesh and its strong flavor. And so that it remains tender as desired, it is important to master the cooking process. Pan-fried, roasted, or in a casserole, here are all our tips for successfully cooking venison. And for even more dish ideas, take a look at our dedicated Christmas page!

This is the perfect cooking method for venison haunch. Very simple, it requires almost no preparation; simply place the haunch in a large baking dish then massage it with a little oil and soft butter. Salt, pepper, sprinkle with herbs or spices (thyme, rosemary, paprika, etc.) and cook in a very hot oven (240°C) for 5 minutes on each side to properly “mark” the meat. Then lower the temperature to 90°C and cook slowly for around 4 hours. This is the guarantee of perfectly tender meat!

Do you prefer meat in sauce? So opt for cooking in a casserole dish. For example, you can prepare a shoulder of venison in cider: place the meat in a casserole dish, cover with cider and some herbs (onion, garlic, bouquet garni) and leave to simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes. The haunch (also called “jig”) lends itself particularly well to this preparation. Consider marinating the meat for 24 hours in a mixture of wine and herbs before cooking, to enhance the flavor.

This is the ideal cooking method for small pieces such as chops or hazelnuts (the fillet). Brown them in a hot pan with a little butter and oil. Season them with salt, pepper and crumbled thyme. When they are nicely browned, keep them warm (for example by covering them with aluminum foil) while you prepare the sauce in the same pan. A mushroom sauce (another seasonal product) and cream, for example, would be ideal. But you can also opt for a grand veneur sauce, made with red wine and redcurrant jelly.