From Hill to Home: Three More Recipes from the Dennisons Kitchen

In our last blog post from this From Hill to Home series: A Field to Fork Journey with Dennisons Venison, we introduced you to Lee and the wonderful team at Dennisons, doing their best for the world of British venison. 

We made the case for wild venison as one of the most sustainable, ethical, and genuinely delicious proteins you can put on the table, and sent you off with a venison, mushroom and pancetta pie recipe that (even as a Northerner) I'd back against most things in a pie-off.

And now we're back in the kitchen with Lee, for the second instalment in our From Hill to Home series, where we’re getting properly hands-on with Lee and the Dennisons Venison team as they share three more mouth-watering recipes that between them cover just about every occasion you can cook up.

The thread running through all three? Venison isn't a special occasion ingredient; it's an everyday one. Lean, flavourful, surprisingly forgiving to cook, and more versatile than most people give it credit for- and these recipes are here to prove it.

So, chopping boards out, and let’s get started.

 

Why Venison Belongs on Your Weekly Menu

The Benefits of Cooking with Wild Venison at Home are endless, and if you're new here and part one passed you by, here's a recap: wild venison is leaner than beef or lamb, higher in iron, naturally sourced without the additives that come with farmed meat, and about as traceable as meat gets (especially when it comes from a trusted source like Dennisons).

It's also genuinely sustainable; wild deer need to be managed, and using that venison properly is how that work gets its full value. The only thing left to address is the cooking, and that's exactly what we're here for.

 

Recipe One: Venison Stew (The Slow Cooker Version)

The Easy Slow Cooker Venison Stew Recipe from Dennisons Venison

Yes, we know it’s technically summer, but if there's one thing venison was made for, it's low and slow cooking. Given the time and the right ingredients, it transforms, and we couldn’t do a Venison series without bringing out the slow cooker (even if it’s one you save until September).

This recipe uses diced venison, one of the most accessible cuts from Dennisons, and builds it into a proper stew with a good vegetable base, red wine, and fresh herbs.

And the best part about this one? It does all that while you're out in the field. Set it going in the morning, come home to something that smells incredible, and try not to go back for seconds (or thirds!)

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 500g diced venison
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1–2 sticks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes in juice)
• 1–2 tbsp tomato purée
• Small handful pancetta or bacon lardons
• 1 glass red wine
• 400–500ml beef stock
• Fresh thyme, rosemary, 2 bay leaves
• Salt & pepper, olive oil

Method

1. Brown for flavour - don't skip this. Heat a little oil in a pan, season the venison, and brown it in batches. Set aside. This step is responsible for about 80% of the flavour, so give it the time it deserves.
   
2. Build the base. Cook the pancetta until slightly crispy, then add the onion, carrot, and celery for 5–8 minutes. Add the garlic for another minute, then stir in the tomato purée for 1–2 minutes.
   
3. Deglaze. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble for 2–3 minutes, scraping all that good stuff from the bottom of the pan.
   
4. Into the slow cooker. Add the browned venison, the veg base, tomatoes, stock (just enough to cover), and the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
   
5. Cook. Low for 7–8 hours is the best option, or high for 4–5 if you're pushed for time. Venison loves low and slow - trust the process.
   
6. Finish. Remove the herb stems and bay leaves, taste, and season. A knob of butter stirred through adds a nice richness, or a splash of balsamic if you feel it needs balancing. For a thicker stew, leave the lid off for the final 30 minutes.
   
7. Serve with: mash (the classic), green veg, crusty bread, or buttered pasta — underrated with a stew like this, and well worth trying.
    

Pro tip: stir in a teaspoon of redcurrant jelly at the end. It deepens the richness without making it sweet, and it's the kind of thing that makes people ask what your secret is.
 

 

Recipe Two: McDenniVenni Wraps (with Homemade Secret Sauce)

A Field to Fork Twist on a Fast Food Classic

Lee's McDenniVenni Wraps are exactly what they sound like- venison's answer to a certain set of golden arches….but based on proper wild meat and a homemade secret sauce that puts the original firmly in its place, if you're going to do fast food, you might as well do it with venison mince from a family-run deer management business in the UK, right?

This is also the recipe that gets any venison sceptics through the door. Venison mince is lean, quick to cook, and works almost identically to beef mince, so there's nothing intimidating here, just a brilliant Friday night treat that happens to be made from wild meat.

The real star, though, is the secret sauce. Two seconds to read, two minutes to make.

Ingredients

For the wrap:

• Venison mince
• Tortilla wraps
• Cheese slices
• Lettuce
• Tomato, sliced
• Red onion (optional)
• Salt & pepper, olive oil
  

For the secret sauce:

• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1–2 gherkins, finely chopped
• Fresh dill, chopped
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
• Optional: a splash of pickle juice from the gherkin jar

 

Method

1. Make the sauce first. Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside. Try not to eat it straight from the bowl.
   
2. Smash and cook the venison. Heat a little oil in a pan, add the venison mince and press it flat into a thin layer. Season with salt and pepper and cook until browned and slightly crispy.
   
3. Add the tortilla. Place it directly on top of the cooked venison in the pan and press it down so it sticks.
   

1. Flip. The whole thing - so the tortilla is now on the bottom and the venison is stuck to it.
   
2. Melt the cheese. Lay your cheese slices on top of the venison and let them melt while the tortilla crisps underneath.
   
3. Build. Remove from the pan and add lettuce, tomato, onion if you're using it, and a generous layer of secret sauce. Don't be shy with it.
   
   
4. Fold and finish. Fold in half or wrap style. A brief return to the pan for extra crispness is optional but recommended.
   
5. Serve with: extra sauce and gherkins on the side. I can tell you it goes down very well on a Friday night!

 

 

Recipe Three: Venison Ragu (Posh Spaghetti Bolognese)

Wild Venison Bolognese from Dennisons Venison

If the slow cooker stew is the one for a cold Sunday and the McDenniVenni is Friday night treat, this is your mid-week meal that feels like a weekend special. It’s the kind of cooking where you can take a bit of time, switch off after work and just enjoy the experience of making something good.

Lee describes it well: rich, slow-cooked, and built on a solid base. Think of it as venison's answer to bolognese (and why it's even better). If you cook bolognese regularly, the method will feel completely familiar. The result, though, is noticeably different- deeper, leaner, and with that quality that comes from properly managed wild meat.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 500g venison mince
• 1 red onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 sticks celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• Small handful pancetta or bacon lardons
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 glass red wine
• 400–500ml beef stock
• 1–2 bay leaves, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary
• Salt & pepper, olive oil
• Pappardelle or tagliatelle (a thicker pasta works best)
• Parmesan, for grating

Method

1. Brown the venison. Heat oil in a heavy pan or casserole, season the venison, and brown it well on all sides. Remove and set aside. Don't rush this — colour equals flavour.
   
2. Build the soffritto. Chop the onion, carrot, and celery. Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until lightly crisp, then add the chopped veg and cook gently for 10–15 minutes until soft and sweet. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
   
3. Add depth. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 2–3 minutes, then pour in the red wine and let it reduce by half. This is where it starts smelling incredible.
   
4. Bring it together. Return the venison to the pan, add the stock just to cover, then add the bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary.
   
5. Slow cook. Simmer gently with the lid slightly ajar for 2–3 hours, or transfer to a slow cooker or low oven. The longer you give it, the better it gets.
   
6. Finish the ragu. Remove the bay leaves and herb stems, taste, and adjust the seasoning. A knob of butter stirred through at the end adds a lovely gloss.
   
7. Cook the pasta. Cook until al dente, reserve a little pasta water, then toss the pasta through the ragu with a splash of that water to bring it all together.
   
8. Serve. Plate up generously and grate Parmesan over the top. Proper job.

Pro tips: chop the veg small for a better texture in the finished sauce, and if you can make it the day before, do. Like most slow-cooked dishes, it's even better reheated the next day, and you'll be very glad you made a full batch.

 

Three More Reasons to Cook with Venison

And there we have it, very different dishes, one key ingredient, and each with poof that venison earns its place well beyond the special occasion. Whether you're setting the slow cooker before a morning in the field, throwing together a Friday night wrap, or taking a couple of hours to really appreciate the process, wild venison handles all of it.

And that’s not all, these recipes come from people who genuinely care about their product, from the hillside to the plate, and that shows, so as always, a huge thank you to Lee and the Dennisons team for sharing them with us.

Make sure to keep an eye out for the third and final instalment in this series, where we'll be rounding off your venison cookbook with two more go-to recipes to add to the collection.

In the meantime, you can head to dennisonsvenison.co.uk to order your venison direct from Lee and the team, and if you're the one bringing it home from the hill, you can explore our full range of deer stalking clothing and accessories at Serious Country Sports, built for exactly that.
 

Author

Matthew Holland

Matt Holland is passionate about sharing tips on enjoying the British countryside. From field sports to woodland walks, Matt is a proud enthusiast of all country pursuits, with a keen interest in country sports and the heritage, traditions, and tales they offer. Living and working in the beautiful Cheshire countryside, Matt combines his love for rural life with practical advice, helping others make the most of the seasons while embracing the thrill of country sports and the beauty of country life.