Venison Stew with Dumplings

Venison stew in a rich port and red wine sauce, loaded with swede and carrot to highlight the sweet tones and finished with suet dumplings.

This delicious stew is slowly cooked in the oven and takes around 3 hours to cook, but it very low maintenance and you only spend around 30 minutes in the kitchen.

Slow Cooked Venison Casserole with Dumplings

Growing up wild meat was a long way from our dinner tables, but I am a curious cook!

It now forms a regular part of my diet and it is nowhere near as intimidating as it would seem.

This rich venison stew with dumplings joins both a fancy venison burger and some rather innovative venison meatballs that come with an Indian-inspired sauce.

It is a glorious meat to cook with! Rich in flavour and generally speaking, commercially available venison is not too “gamey”.

Smoked bacon helps out with the lean nature of venison and adds a bit of much-needed fat.

The sauce or gravy features a rich and bold combination of port and red wine with a little redcurrant jelly and juniper.

Let’s not forget the veggies! I opt for swede and carrot to mirror and compliment the sweetness in the gravy.

And this stonkingly good stew is finished with some classic British suet dumplings, go ahead… what are you waiting for?

Frequently Asked Questions

What cut of meat should I use?

The cut of meat that I usually rely on for this dish is the shoulder. It is one of the more widely available cuts of venison.

It is lean and gently flavoured but still bold enough to stand up to the port wine we use to base our sauce on.

Can I use something other than Port?

Port has a rich, bold almost sweet flavour, nothing quite tastes like it. But alternatives that will point your dish in a similar direction are Madeira, Marsala and sherry.

Or you could just run with a straight red wine sauce, you may wish to add a little more sweetness if you go down this route.

Can I use dried thyme?

Yes, if you have only got access to dried thyme, then use 1-1½ teaspoons in space of the 4 sprigs.

Can I make this in advance?

Yes, this stew will store in the fridge for 2-3 days and will freeze for up to 6 months.

Reheated dumplings are not at their very best but they are acceptable, however, I would avoid freezing the dumplings.

What is Swede?

This is a question that gets asked by US and Canadian visitors to my site, Swede is what you know as rutabaga.

Serving Suggestions

I consider this hearty red wine and port venison stew to be a perfect and hearty one-pot dish for two. The dumplings offer plenty of mopping up ability for the rich sauce and the swede and carrot add plenty of vegetables.

However, venison is an expensive meat here in the UK and you can very easily serve this for 4 people with some sides.

It sings when it sits alongside a pile of creamy buttery mashed potato. But oranges ain’t the only fruit and all that, so I have done some testing, life is hard!

This dish also works really well with both celeriac mash and swede and carrot mash.

And if plain old mash ain’t enough for you, how about a classic Irish colcannon or champ?

Equipment Used

I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• Oven.
• 20cm or 8″ Dutch oven or casserole pot with a lid.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Small mixing bowl.
• Kitchen tongs, stirring and serving spoons.
• A combination of weighing scales and or measuring jug, cups and spoons.

Venison Stew with Dumplings Step-by-Step Photos

1. Begin by seasoning the venison with salt and pepper, then dredge it with flour. Batch fry the meat over a medium high heat and set it aside.
   
2. Add the bacon and onions and saute for 5 minutes over a medium heat.
   
3. Add the swede, carrot and garlic, then cook for another couple of minutes.
   
4. Turn the heat up to high and pour in the red wine and port then add the bay leaf, juniper and thyme, then reduce the liquid by half.
   
5. Pour in the beef stock, add the redcurrant jelly and return the beef. Now is a good time to test the seasoning. Stir, add a lid and place it in the oven at 150°C or 300°F and cook for 60 minutes.
   
6. Mix the ingredients for the dumplings with enough water to form a sticky dough.
   
7. Spoon 6 dumplings into the stew, then return it to the oven for another 60 minutes. If you like a crispy outer coating to your dumplings remove the lid for the final 15 minutes.