Civet de Chevreuil à l'Alsacienne

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg venison haunch or shoulder, cut into 5 cm cubes
• For the marinade
• 750 ml Pinot Noir d'Alsace, one full bottle; must be drinkable quality
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 sticks celery, sliced
• 8 juniper berries, lightly crushed
• 4 cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
• For the braise
• 30 ml neutral oil, for searing
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 500 ml game or beef stock, to cover
• For the sauce finish
• 150 g pruneaux d'Agen, soaked in Armagnac or Marc d'Alsace, then puréed
• 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 1 tbsp dark chocolate, grated; optional, should remain undetectable as an individual flavour

Method

1. 1
   Combine the wine, sliced onions, carrots, celery, juniper berries, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, thyme, and crushed peppercorns in a non-reactive bowl. Add the venison cubes, submerge fully, cover, and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. The meat is ready when it has taken on a deep burgundy colour throughout and smells of spice and wine.
2. 2
   Lift the venison from the marinade and pat each piece completely dry with kitchen paper. Strain the marinade, reserving the liquid and the aromatic vegetables separately. The surface of the meat must feel dry and slightly tacky to the touch; any residual moisture will cause steaming rather than browning.
3. 3
   Heat the oil in a heavy-based casserole over high heat until shimmering. Sear the venison in small batches — never crowding the pan — turning each piece until deeply caramelised on all sides. This is where the dish lives or dies: insufficient colour here means a dull, pale sauce with no foundation of flavour. Remove each batch and set aside.
4. 4
   Reduce the heat to medium. Add the reserved aromatic vegetables to the same pot and sauté until softened and lightly coloured. Stir in the flour and cook for one to two minutes until the raw smell dissipates and the mixture smells faintly nutty.
5. 5
   Pour in the strained marinade and bring to a brisk simmer, scraping the base of the pot. Reduce by one-third; the liquid should smell concentrated and the raw wine edge should be gone.
6. 6
   Return the seared venison to the pot. Add sufficient stock to cover. Place a lid on the casserole and braise in an oven set to 150°C for 2 to 2.5 hours. The meat is done when it yields easily to a skewer but holds its cube shape and does not fall apart under gentle pressure.
7. 7
   Lift out the meat and pass the braising vegetables through a fine sieve or blitz into the sauce to give body. Stir in the prune purée and the redcurrant jelly. If using, add the grated dark chocolate now. Taste: the sauce should be dark, glossy, and balanced between the wine's tannin and the fruit's sweetness, with no single element dominant.
8. 8
   Return the venison to the finished sauce and reheat gently — the civet improves markedly if made a day ahead and reheated the following day. If finishing with a blood liaison, hold the sauce below 80°C at all times; it must never boil after the blood is added. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon in a single, unbroken film.