Getting to the meat of the matter

THE nights are definitely getting shorter but you shouldn't start getting too far ahead of yourself when it comes to menu planning. March tends to be a cold, windy month in Scotland and it's probably a good idea to keep the winter recipe book handy for a few weeks yet.

Chilly days usually have everyone looking forward to a nice warming lunch or dinner and this is when Scottish red meats can show off their comfort food credentials in flavoursome stews, pies and casseroles or as mouth watering roasts. It's usual to think about beef and lamb for these types of warming dishes but if you fancy a healthier alternative you could look at another of Scotland's famous foodstuffs, venison.

As your game dealer will happily tell you, venison is one of the leanest red meats there is, containing half the fat of beef and a quarter that of lamb, which health-wise makes it the carnivore's ideal ingredient. The good news from a chef's point of view is that it also has a fantastic strong flavour and is tremendously versatile. As well as the aforementioned comfort dishes, the more expensive cuts are ideal for grilling or pan-frying, with venison fillet in particular having that melt-in-the-mouth quality that few meats can achieve. At the other end of the scale, venison sausages are becoming increasingly popular, while venison burgers are ideal for barbecues come the warmer weather, though, because the meat is so lean you'll probably have to add some fat to the mix to achieve the right consistency. Try venison mince as an alternative to beef next time you make a chilli and notice the difference in flavour and texture. Even as a cold-cut venison compares well to other red meats, with smoked venison especially worth looking for if you're planning a buffet.

Venison is available pretty much all the year round due to the different shooting seasons for stags, hinds and bucks, though if there is a shortfall in stocks of the fresh meat then you should be able to get hold of frozen. And before you turn your nose up at this option it's worth noting that, due to the meat's low fat content combined with some frankly complicated science about proteins, there is an argument that venison is one of the few meat products that actually benefits from the freezing process. And with modern agricultural methods being increasingly put under the spotlight it's good to note that Scottish venison scores highly as an ethically-sound food product. Most of our venison is estate-managed and therefore effectively wild, living healthy lives on our hills and mountains.

So while venison remains a popular menu choice throughout the year it's during the colder months that its robust flavour tends to be the most appreciated. With spring just around the corner you will probably be starting to think about recipes involving fresh fruits, crisp salad leaves and seasonal vegetables. Perhaps you could still take advantage of a cold March day to appreciate one of Scotland's favourite winter ingredients.

Andy McGregor is chef/proprietor at Blonde Restaurant, 75 St Leonard's Street, 0131-668 2917

Recipe: Venison, mushroom and walnut pie
Makes 4-6

Ingredients

1kg diced haunch of venison
2 red onions, chopped
100g walnut halves, blanched and cooled
500g field (flat) mushrooms, quartered
250ml red wine
5000ml beef or game stock
250ml orange juice
3 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp ground paprika
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
30g plain flour
500g puff pastry
1 egg, whisked
Salt and ground black pepper
Olive oil

Method

Heat the oven to 180C. In a large pot, warm olive oil then brown the meat with the garlic, paprika and seasoning. Stir in the flour until the meat is coated then add onions, wine, orange juice, stock, honey, bay leaves, mushrooms and walnuts. Mix and simmer for 10 mins then transfer to a casserole dish. Cover and place in the oven for around 2 hours, until the meat is tender. Allow to cool. Heat oven to 220C. Transfer the meat to a pie dish. Roll out the pastry, place over the dish and trim. Brush with the egg and place in the oven for around 30 mins until pastry is golden brown.

Venison chilli, serves 4

Ingredients

500g minced venison
100g bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3-4 red chillies, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
300g red kidney beans, drained
1 tbsp ground paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
500g sieved tomatoes
200g tomato puree
125ml red wine
125ml beef or game stock
75g quality dark chocolate
Salt and ground black pepper
Olive oil

Method

In a large pan, heat a little olive oil then add the venison mince, bacon, garlic, onion, paprika and cayenne pepper. Sauté until meat is well browned then add the wine, stock, chillies, peppers and tomato. Cook for a further 10 mins then add the tomato puree, kidney beans and seasoning. Turn the heat down and simmer for 1 hour. Add the chocolate, simmer for 5 mins.