Recipe: Venison stroganoff

This weekend we are visiting our friends Jack & Judy in Northem Michigan. Judy and I developed a combination of a classic Strogonoff and Paprikash and adapted it to the wild venison her husband, Jack, provided. The venison was delicious in this recipe. The flavor and "chew" in contrast to meat dishes, where marbled fat provides a different flavor and texture.

Yield: 6 servings

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds venison steaks
• 4 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups pearl onions, blanched in boiling water 1 minute, then peeled
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 cups venison or beef stock
• 3 tablespoons Madeira (wine)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms, wild or domestic
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped dill, plus extra sprigs for garnish
• Paprika

Directions

1. Remove all fat and silver skin from steaks. Cut into thin strips. Lightly season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge strips in 2 tablespoons flour.
2. In a large, heavy- bottomed skillet, heat butter over medium high heat. Cooking in batches, brown beef, about 1 minute on each side.
3. Remove meat with slotted spoon; reserve.
4. Add blanched onions, garlic and a pinch of salt to pan and sauté, stirring.
5. Slowly whisk or stir in remaining 1/4 cup flour. (You may want to remove pan from stove when whisking in flour; if too hot, lumps could form.) Stir or whisk in stock, Madeira and tomato paste.
6. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Return venison to pan. Stir in sour cream and dill and gently heat. Garnish with a dusting of paprika and dill sprigs.

 This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on March 12, 2010.