Venison chilli with chocolate

Meat mains

Venison chilli with chocolate

Name: Venison chilli with chocolate
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 4

Main Serves 4 2h 45 min

This chilli might seem a little heavy on the beans, but that's the way we like it. The chocolate gives it extra richness and unctuousness. The extra spices make the whole dish a lot more balanced and interesting. If you have an army to feed, you can double the quantities by using more venison or adding in other diced or minced meat – the diced will give a bit of added texture.

Ingredients

500g minced venison
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp dried coriander
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 large onions, chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes
100ml stock
2x400g tin kidney beans, drained
50g 85% dark chocolate
salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 1h 15 min

Cooking time: 1h 30 min

Step 1
Mix the venison with the oregano, ground cumin, cinnamon, dried coriander and half the garlic and chilli, and leave to marinade for an hour or so.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the cumin seeds and coriander seeds and gently cook, stirring regularly, until they start smelling.
Step 3
Add the onion, carrot and remaining garlic and cook over a low heat to soften. Now add the spiced up venison and increase the heat to brown it - breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.
Step 4
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, stock and remaining chilli. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for an hour, stirring occasionally.
Step 5
Add water if it gets too dry. It should be rich, red, and thickened. Finally, add the kidney beans and grate in the chocolate.
Step 6
Stir gently and cook for a further 10 minutes with the lid off. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with the usual chilli accompaniments of rice etc.