Name: Slow Roasted Venison Leg on Root Vegetables
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: 6 portions
Ingredients: 1500 g venison haunch; 100 g bacon; 3 pcs carrot; 2 pcs parsley root; 200 g celeriac; 2 pcs onion; 4 cloves garlic; 50 g butter; 6 pcs juniper; 2 pcs bay leaves; 4 grains allspice; 4 pinches thyme; 500 ml beef broth; salt; black pepper; 250 ml whipping cream; 1 tablespoon plain flour; 100 g lingonberry compote; 12 slices bread dumpling

Step by step process

Preparation and roasting

1
Rinse the venison leg, pat it dry and trim off the surface silverskin. Cut the bacon into strips and lard the meat with them. Season with salt and pepper, rub with crushed juniper and garlic, and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour, ideally overnight.
2
Clean the carrots, parsley root and celeriac and cut them into large chunks, quarter the onions. Spread the vegetables in a roasting pan, place the meat on top, add the butter, thyme, bay leaves and allspice. Pour in the beef stock.
3
Cover the pan and roast in an oven preheated to 150 °C for about 2.5 to 3 hours. Baste the meat with the juices every half hour. For the last 20 minutes roast uncovered at 180 °C so the surface takes on color.

Cream sauce and serving

4
Take the tender meat out of the pan and wrap it in foil to rest. Discard the bay leaves and allspice. Blend the pan juices with the vegetables until smooth and pour into a saucepan.
TIP:
After cooking, let the vegetables drain well and briefly steam off any excess moisture. Add liquid gradually while blending so the puree does not become too thin. It will be smoothest when made from still-warm vegetables. Season it only at the end.
5
Whisk the cream with the flour, pour it into the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes while stirring, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and perhaps a teaspoon of cranberries.
6
Slice the rested leg across the grain. Serve covered with the sauce, with bread dumplings and cranberry compote.