Venison Stew with Bitter Chocolate

This was, plain and simple, quintessential winter eating. This is a Gordon Ramsay recipe taken out of the newspaper a few weeks ago. It is awesome. The slight sweetness for the chocolate and the little fruity acidic hit from the vinegar balance out a rich and delicious stew. Can't wait for leftovers!

Olive oil, for cooking
150 g smoked bacon, chopped
1 kg boned leg or shoulder of venison, cut into large chunks
3-4 tablespoons plain flour, seasoned
250 g shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sticks of celery, roughly chopped
1 medium swede, peeled and roughly chopped
Few thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns, crushed
500 ml red wine
500 ml brown chicken or beef stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoon raspberry vinegar, to taste
20-30 g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), grated, to taste

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Drizzle a little oil into a large ovenproof casserole dish and sauté the bacon for 4-5 minutes over a moderate heat until lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Put the chunks of venison in a large bowl or plastic bag with the seasoned flour and toss well to coat. Shake off the excess flour. Add a little more oil to the casserole and fry the venison in batches over a moderate to high heat, until browned on all sides. Remove from the casserole and set aside with the bacon.

Add a final drizzle of oil to the casserole dish and tip in the shallots, garlic, carrots, celery and swede. Sauté the vegetables with the herbs and crushed peppercorns for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots are soft and golden.

Return the bacon and venison to the casserole and pour in the red wine. Give everything a good stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the dish to loosen any sediment. Bring the wine to the boil, then pour in the stock and add some salt and pepper. Return to the boil, then cover with a lid. Transfer to the oven and cook for 1½ hours, or until tender.

Remove the casserole from the oven and strain the meat and vegetables through a large sieve or colander, set over a saucepan to catch the sauce. Discard the bay leaves and thyme. Tip the meat and vegetables back into the dish and cover to keep warm.

Add the raspberry vinegar to the sauce and reheat gently. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the chocolate until it melts and the sauce is smooth. (If it turns grainy, pass it through a fine sieve.) Taste and adjust the seasoning, then pour the sauce over the venison and vegetables and stir well to coat. Serve immediately with creamed cabbage and mashed potato.