Venison pepper à la Marquise

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 750 ml red wine, Veltliner or Chianti
• 75 ml red wine vinegar
• 1 carrot(s), cut into pieces
• 1 onion(s), halved, topped with
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s), cut several times
• ½ tsp black peppercorns, crushed
• 3 juniper berries, crushed
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• 500 g venison (shoulder), cut into medium-sized cubes
• e.g. instant gravy
• 1 bar of chocolate (cooking chocolate)
• 1 tbsp jelly, currant
• 2 slices of toast, crust removed, cut into cubes
• some onions (silver onions), blanched
• 6 slice(s) bacon, cut crosswise into strips
• 100 g chanterelles, fresh or from the can
• salt and pepper
• oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 6 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes; Total time approx. 6 days 1 hour 50 minutes

a Swiss classic during hunting season – can also be prepared with venison

Bring all the ingredients for the marinade to a boil and let cool completely. Place the meat in an enameled pot or glass bowl and pour the marinade over it. Cover and let it rest in the refrigerator for 6-8 days, stirring daily. Remove the meat from the marinade, drain well, and dry with kitchen paper (important, otherwise it will splash heavily when searing). Pour the marinade into a pan and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that forms, and set the pan aside. Season the meat with salt and pepper and sear it vigorously in batches in hot oil or clarified butter. Prepare 300 ml of gravy according to the package instructions, replacing 1/2-2/3 of the water with marinade and deglaze the meat with it (I know this isn’t “CK-like,” but it works for me; I don’t want to use blood to bind it, and we don’t like the usual “flour mush”). Cover and braise in an oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) until the meat is very tender, i.e. approx. 60-80 minutes. After 40 minutes, add half of the chanterelles to the sauce. When the meat is tender, add the chocolate (broken into small pieces) and the blackcurrant jelly, let it melt and stir in. The sauce should be thick; thicken further with cornstarch or a little (!) flour if necessary. While the meat is in the oven, fry the bread cubes in butter until golden brown, slowly fry the bacon until crispy, sauté the remaining chanterelles in the bacon fat, perhaps with a little butter, then keep everything warm along with the pearl onions. Arrange the meat on preheated plates, sprinkle with the garnish and serve immediately. Suitable side dishes: Spätzli tossed in butter (pasta, potatoes or even dumplings may be tasty, but in Swiss opinion they do not go well with the classic venison pepper), red or Brussels sprouts, apple, pear or peach halves, filled with cranberry compote.