Venison is an extremely lean meat, so don’t overcook the meatballs. The mash and meatballs can be made in advance and re-heated when ready to serve.
Nadia Lim cooks a healthy and delicious dinner party that can be prepared in advance, making your night stress-free. Have a look at Entrée – Smoked salmon, beetroot and orange salad with crème fraiche and Dessert – Baked ricotta cheesecake with tamarillos
Meatballs
| 500 g | Venison mince (Main) |
| 3 Tbsp | Onions, minced |
| 1 cup | Breadcrumbs |
| 1 Tbsp | Thyme, chopped |
| 1 ½ tsp | Salt |
| 1 tsp | Allspice, ground |
| 1 | Egg |
| 2 Tbsp | Olive oil |
Sauce
| 1 | Onion, diced |
| 2 cloves | Garlic, crushed |
| 250 g | Mushrooms, swiss brown or button, stems removed, quartered |
| 3 Tbsp | Tomato paste |
| ¾ cup | Red wine |
| ¾ cup | Beef stock, or chicken stock |
| 1 can | Crushed tomatoes |
| 3 Tbsp | Plum jam |
| ½ cup | Flat leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped, to garnish |
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Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix venison mince, onion, breadcrumbs, thyme, salt, allspice and egg together (with your clean hands), until well combined.
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan (preferably non-stick) on medium to high heat, and brown meatballs, in batches, for about 1-2minutes each side. Set meatballs aside as you cook them.
- Keep frying pan on medium heat and add another drizzle of olive oil. Cook onion, garlic and mushrooms until onion is soft, 4-5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, red wine, beef or chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and plum jam. Simmer sauce until reduced and thickened (about 8-10 minutes) and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add back meatballs, cover with a lid and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve meatballs and sauce with celeriac mash and vegetables (broccoli or wilted spinach) on the side.
Celeriac mash
- Cut skin off 500-600g celeriac with a sharp knife and chop into 3cm cubes.
- Peel and chop 400g potatoes into 3cm cubes.
- Cook celeriac and potatoes in boiling salted water until soft, about 15 minutes.
- Drain and mash with a knob of butter and 1/3 cup of milk, and season to taste.
