Juicy venison goulash with wine and mushrooms

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 125 g shallot(s) or small onions
• 250 g mushrooms, small
• 50 g bacon, streaky, smoked
• 5 juniper berries
• 800 g game goulash, mixed (e.g. venison and deer)
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 150 ml red wine, dry, alternatively broth
• 1 tsp instant bouillon powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 75 g cranberries from the jar (approx. 2 – 3 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp sauce thickener, dark
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche
• Parsley for garnishing
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

Peel the shallots and halve if necessary. Clean, wash, and halve the mushrooms. Finely dice the bacon. Roughly crush the juniper berries. Wash the meat, pat dry, and cut into slightly smaller cubes if necessary. Heat the clarified butter in a large pot. Fry the bacon in it, then remove it. Brown the meat in batches, then remove it. Brown the mushrooms and shallots in the bacon fat. Add the meat and bacon again. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste and sauté. Deglaze with 1/2 l water and red wine, bring to a boil, and stir in the stock. Add the bay leaf, cloves, juniper berries, and half the cranberries. Cover and simmer for 1 – 1 1/4 hours. Stir the sauce thickener into the goulash and bring back to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in a bowl. Top with a dollop of crème fraîche and the remaining cranberries. Garnish with parsley if desired.