Venison ragout with grapes and zucchini

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 600 g venison from the leg
• 2 m.-large zucchini
• 150 g red grapes, seedless
• 500 ml red wine, dry
• 750 ml grape juice, red
• 3 onions, red
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 juniper berries
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• 1 tbsp, heaped tomato paste
• 2 tbsp plum jam
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• tbsp cornstarch
• Salt and pepper, black

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 45 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 45 minutes

Rinse the venison, dry it and cut into cubes of about 2 x 2 cm. Peel the onions and cut into small cubes. Rinse the zucchini and cut into slices about 4 mm thick. Rinse the rosemary sprig, pull off the needles and chop very finely. Rinse the grapes and pull them from the vine. Halve ¼ of the grapes; these will add some fruit acid to the ragout, leave the rest whole. Heat the clarified butter in a saucepan, brown the meat and season with salt and black pepper. Add the onion and tomato paste and fry for about 2-3 minutes, deglaze with about 200 ml red wine and allow this to reduce well. Then top up with the remaining red wine and the grape juice until the meat is covered with liquid. Add the bay leaves, juniper berries and rosemary and braise the ragout over the lowest heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. About 5 minutes before the ragout is finished cooking, add the zucchini slices and plum jam and simmer. Shortly before the venison ragout is finished cooking, mix the cornstarch with a little water to thicken the ragout slightly. Add the grapes shortly before serving and heat briefly. Taste and adjust the seasoning. I served the venison ragout with cavatellucci and a glass of the cooking wine.