Braised Game
I have used a blend of wild meats for this stew; venison, rabbit, pigeon, pheasant. Instead of eating farmed meat, eating game (wild meat) once a week is a healthy alternative, both for you and for the planet. Especially if the rest of the week you eat a vegetarian diet or a vegan diet.
Preparation
Heat the sunflower spread in a large, deep frying pan. Add the chopped onions and fry for around 3 - 4 minutes until the onions have softened. Mix together the plain flour with the game. Add the wild meats (or just venison, if a mixture is unavailable) and fry for 3 more minutes until the meat has slightly browned.
Add the chopped vegetables, this can be a mixture of root vegetables, like carrots, parsnips, turnips, swedes, whatever you would like to add. I have used carrots, parsnips and potatoes. Add the red wine and just enough bouillon so that the vegetables are just under water. Add the bay leaves and the juniper berries too. Bring to a boil and simmer slowly for 2 - 2.5 hours. I have a wood burning stove with a flat top I use in winter to cook my stews, but of course your everyday cooker will do the job just as well!
After 2 hours, add the redcurrant jelly (or use hawthorn jelly or rowan jelly, if you made or your own) and cook for another 20 - 30 minutes.
Add some gravy granules to thicken the sauce, boiling it once more for around 10 minutes.
I know, it is a lot of work, but it is such a healthy dish, it's worth it!
And, personally, I feel really good knowing that almost all my ingredients were sourced and grown locally.