Venison Lasagne
One of the nations favourite dishes using venison mince for a healthier, leaner alternative.
Ingredients
- 1 kg venison mince
- 1.5 brown onion
- 1 large carrot
- 2 sticks celery
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp tomato puree
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaf
- 100 grams plain flour
- 800 grams tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 litre venison stock
- 400 grams fresh or dried pasta sheets
- oil
- 500 ml milk
- 50 grams butter
- 2 cloves
- 25 grams grated parmesan cheese
- 50 grams grated mature cheddar cheese
Instructions
- For the cheese sauceAdd half an onion, the cloves and 1 bay leaf to a saucepan with the milk. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat off and keep warm.Melt the butter in a pan, add 50g of flour and mix to form a roux. Cook for no more than 2 minutes, then take off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Remove the onion, bay leaf and cloves from the milk. Stir a third of the milk into the roux, mixing continuously until smooth. Then add another third of the milk, again stirring until smooth. Finally, pour in the remaining milk and turn the heat down. Allow to cook for 30 minutes, then add half the cheddar cheese and all the parmesan. Continue stirring well until all the cheese melts, and allow to cool.
- Bring the stock to the boil and then reduce heat to keep warm. Heat a little oil in a large saucepan and add half the venison mince. Fry off until cooked then remove from the pan. Repeat the process with the second half of the mince, then remove the meat and keep to one side.
- Finely chop the carrot, the celery sticks, one onion and the garlic. Add the onion and the garlic to the pan that the meat was fried in and sweat off in a little oil. Then, after about 5 minutes, add the carrot and the celery. Once the veg softens, add the meat and stir well before adding the tomato puree and the herbs.
- Cook for 4 minutes, then add 50g of flour and stir well. Then add the tinned tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes. Finally pour in the hot stock and bring everything to the boil.Cook on a gentle heat for at least 90 minutes. If the sauce reduces too quickly and becomes too thick then add a little more stock. Correct the seasoning and allow to cool before using.
- Once the meat and cheese sauces have cooled down, spoon a little of the cheese sauce over the bottom of a deep, oven proof dish. Place the pasta sheets on top. Add enough meat sauce to coat the pasta well, cover with a second layer of pasta and then the cheese sauce. Continue layering until you have about 1cm below the lip of the dish. Finish with a layer of the cheese sauce and sprinkle the remaining cheddar on top.
- Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees centigrade and place the lasagne onto a baking tray to catch any overflow. Cook for 1 hour, checking that the centre is well cooked and piping hot.
