Mulled Wine-Braised Venison Cobbler with Cheese Scones

Steps to make Mulled Wine-Braised Venison Cobbler with Cheese Scones

1. 1

   Prepare spice rub

   2
   

   In a mortar or spice grinder, grind 1 star anise, ½ cinnamon stick, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, 2 cloves, ¼ finely grated nutmeg, and 4 juniper berries until fine. Then stir in the thyme leaves, finely grated zest of ½ an orange, and 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt.

2. 2

   Toss venison with spice rub

   10
   

   Toss the diced venison with the prepared spice rub in a large bowl. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes. If you have the time, leave the venison to marinate overnight in the fridge (bring it back to room temperature before cooking).

4. 3

   Brown venison

   10
   

   Add ½ teaspoon olive oil to a large casserole dish over high heat and, once smoking, add the venison and brown all over (work in batches if needed).

5. 4

   Transfer to plate

   1
   

   Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate.

6. 5

   Add vegetables and mushrooms

   12
   

   Reduce the heat to medium and add 1 chopped onion, 2 sliced celery stalks, 2 roughly chopped carrots, 4 sliced garlic cloves, and 150 grams halved mushrooms with the remaining ½ teaspoon olive oil and a large pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, about 12 minutes.

7. 6

   Return venison to pan

   2
   

   Transfer the venison along with any juices that have accumulated back to the pan. Then add in 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce and stir until well coated.

8. 7

   Add wine, sugar, and stock

   30
   

   Stir in 400 milliliters red wine, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 200 milliliters beef or chicken stock. Simmer over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes.

9. 8

   Heat oven

   5

   In the meantime, heat the oven to 350 °F / 180 °C fan.

10. 9

    Make biscuits

    2
    

    In a food processor, combine 450 grams self-rising flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 120 grams unsalted butter, and a pinch of salt and pulse until the mixture is sandy.

11. 10

    Add rosemary, orange zest and cheese

    2
    

    Add in 2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary leaves, remaining orange zest and three quarters of Cheddar cheese and pulse until just combined.

12. 11

    Add milk

    2
    

    Add the milk a little at a time and continue to pulse until the dough comes together in a clump. The dough should be quite wet and soft; you may not need to add all the milk, so keep an eye on the mixture as you add it.

13. 12

    Chill dough

    20
    

    Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a ball. Place the ball in a bowl, cover, and let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

14. 13

    Cut out biscuits

    3
    

    Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to about 1 ⅓-inch / 3.5-centimeter thick. Use an 8-centimeter round cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits.

15. 14

    Transfer venison stew to ovenproof dish

    2
    

    Transfer the venison stew to a shallow, ovenproof dish.

16. 15

    Top with biscuits and cheese

    3
    

    Arrange the biscuits on top, brush them with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

17. 16

    Bake

    30
    

    Bake for 30 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

18. 17

    Serve
    

    Serve and enjoy!