To Start
Marinade the venison by putting in a covered dish and pour over the wine, spices and herbs. Leave for a few hours or preferably overnight in the fridge.
The next day
Pour around 150ml of boiling water over the dried mushrooms and leave to soak for 20 minutes then drain (reserving the water) and chop the mushrooms. Drain the venison, pat dry and toss in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
Then
Dice the bacon and in a separate frying pan over a medium heat cook the bacon until crisp and the fat is released then add the quartered shallots and cook for 5 minutes.
Simply
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3 (150C fan). Heat the oil in an oven proof dish over a medium heat and cook the venison in batches until browned on all sides then tip onto a plate. Deglaze the pan with the wine and herbs from the marinade scraping any bits from the bottom of the dish. Then add the cooked venison, bacon and shallots, dried mushrooms and soaking water and stir in the red currant jelly. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for an hour then add the chestnut mushrooms and return to the oven to cook for another 45 minutes until the meat is tender. The cooking time may vary depending on the age of the animal and how long it has been hung.
To serve
Serve with mashed potatoes flavoured with a little grated nutmeg.
