Venison sausages braised in red wine

This recipe is one I adapted from Delia. It is a really, really delicious dish and went straight to the top of my all-time best recipes once eaten. I will make it again and again. It’s deeply rich and flavoursome, immensely comforting - especially with creamy, buttery mash - and also very easy to make.

The sausages, packed with venison, are from The Mersham Shoot (themershamshoot.co.uk). They’re at Parson’s Green farmers’ market* every Sunday and well worth a visit. They also sell through foodaridirect.co.uk

This is John, snapped in December under his Christmas pegs and Santa hat. He's your man to look out for at Parson's Green.

Ingredients                                                                   

450g (1lb) venison sausages
275 ml (10 fl oz) red wine

1 dessertspoon olive oil

225g (8oz) diced bacon or pancetta
1 large garlic clove, peeled
225g (8oz) shallots, peeled
A good slosh of my homemade sloe gin (a nice alternative to juniper berries but if you don’t have any sloe gin, 1 level dessertspoon of juniper berries, very slightly crushed)
1 level teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (dry is fine)
2 bay leaves
175g (6oz) medium-sized, open-cap mushrooms
1 heaped teaspoon plain flour
1 rounded teaspoon mustard powder
25g (1oz) butter, softened
1 rounded tablespoon redcurrant jelly
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (since my peppermill packed in I’ve been grounding black peppercorns in the pestle and mortar each time I need it. It takes no time at all and really brings the pepper to life).

• Heat the oil to a medium heat in a casserole pan (one that can be used for hob and in the oven). Brown the sausages evenly all over, taking care not to split the skins by turning them over too soon. Next, transfer them to a plate while you brown the diced bacon, garlic and shallots.

·    Return the sausages to the casserole, pour in a generous slosh of sloe wine and the red wine (or the juniper berries if you don’t have sloe wine) and add the thyme and bay leaves. Season lightly, bring it all up to a gentle simmer, put a lid on the casserole and turn the heat as low as possible. Let it all simmer gently for 30 minutes.

·    Add the mushrooms and stir them in well, then leave everything to cook gently for a further 20 minutes – this time without the lid so the liquid reduces slightly.

·    To finish, remove the sausages and vegetables to a warm serving dish. Mix the flour and mustard powder with the softened butter until you have a smooth paste and whisk this, a little at a time, into the casserole. Let everything bubble for a few more minutes, remove the casserole from the heat, return the sausages to the casserole, whisk in the redcurrant jelly and serve with creamy, buttery mash.

*The Mersham Shoot attends other LFM markets as well, see www.lfm.org.uk for details