Wild Venison leg pot roast with white wine, pears and thyme

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• 1.2–1.5 kg boneless wild venison leg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 brown onion, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus extra to serve
• 375 ml (1½ cups) dry white wine (such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)
• 125mls (½ cup) good-quality chicken or veal stock
• 2 firm ripe pears (such as beurre bosc), peeled, cored and quartered

Soft polenta

• 1 litre (4 cups) full-cream milk
• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 250g polenta
• 100 g unsalted butter, chopped
• 50 g finely grated Parmesan or hard cheese of your choice
• freshly ground black pepper
• Parsley, to serve

HOW TO COOK IT

Preheat the oven to 120C. Pat the wild venison dry with paper towel and season generously all over with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based casserole dish or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the venison for 3–4 minutes on each side until deeply browned all over. Remove and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the same pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a further minute until fragrant.

Pour in the white wine, scraping up any caramelised bits from the base of the pan. Allow to bubble for 2 minutes, then add the stock. Return the venison to the pan, nestling it into the liquid. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat – add a little more stock or water if needed.

Cover tightly with a lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 hours 30 minutes, then add the pear quarters, tucking them around the venison. Return to the oven for a further 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the meat is completely tender and falling apart.

Remove the venison from the pan and set aside to rest, loosely covered, for 30 minutes. Skim any excess fat from the braising liquid, return to the stovetop on high and reduce down by half. Taste and adjust the seasoning. 

While the venison rests, make the soft polenta. Combine the milk, water and salt in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, then pour in the polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 25 minutes until the polenta is thick and creamy and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and stir through the butter and parmesan. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Shred or slice the venison into generous pieces. Spoon the soft polenta into wide shallow bowls, top with the venison and pears and spoon over the braising juices. Scatter with fresh thyme and/or parsley leaves to serve.

Note: This dish is even better the next day – the flavours deepen overnight and the meat relaxes. Store the venison and braising liquid together, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently. Make the polenta fresh when you're ready to serve.