Wild British game is a really great choice for a meaningful January health kick because it's naturally leaner and higher in protein than farmed meat, and is sustainably produced with little environmental impact.
That's why growing numbers of people are switching to game as part of a diet or healthy eating plan. Another important reason is wild game is typically much more flavoursome and interesting than farmed meat, due to the fact game animals are free to roam and enjoy a natural and varied diet.
Game specialist Wild and Game's popular annual January healthy eating recipe box will be available at www.wildandgame.co.uk from January 1 2023. It contains seven low fat recipes and all the game that you will need to cook them.
Recipes include: chilli partridge with peanut noodles, creamy Nordic venison with skinny mash, grilled lemon pheasant with fusilli, Uzbek plov (a type of pilaf that's an absolute doddle to make and tastes amazing), pheasant lemon tikka chapattis, Mongolian venison rice bowls, and peppered venison steaks with roasted vegetables.
The recipe box costs £49.99 or £44.99 if you subscribe to monthly boxes.
Wild and Game co-founder Steven Frampton said: “We can't believe how quickly our January healthy eating box has come around again. It's been a jam-packed year in which we hit some major milestones, including raising £500,000 in our first ever crowdfunder and moving to your very own distribution centre in the West Country.
"We've also launched plenty of new products, including our new game ready meals, which are also an excellent option for anyone who is counting their calories. Our January healthy eating box is always a popular choice, and it really demonstrates what a versatile, healthy ingredient game is – it's not just about winter stews and pies. We hope our customers love these new recipes as much as we do.”
Here are some recipes kindly supplied by Wild and Game:-
Uzbek venison plov
Feeds 4-6
Ingredients
500g diced venison
Vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 ½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chilli powder
500ml beef stock
A whole head of garlic, end cut off to expose cloves
2 bay leaves
Salt
500g basmati rice
Parsley to serve (optional).
Method
1. Heat a glug or two of vegetable oil in a large, shallow, lidded pan and fry the onion and carrot until starting to soften.
2. Add the venison and brown.
3. Add the cumin and chilli powder and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add the stock and garlic.
5. Heat until bubbling then simmer very gently for 2 hours.
6. Add the rice, a couple of generous pinches of salt, the bay leaves and enough water to cover the rice by 2cm.
7. Heat until bubbling then turn the heat down low and simmer very gently with the lid on for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
8. Switch off the heat and leave with the lid on for 10 minutes.
9. Serve sprinkled with parsley, if using.
Peppered venison steak with roasted vegetables
Feeds 2
Ingredients
2 venison steaks
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, sliced
1 courgette, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
4-6 generously sized new potatoes
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
A few sprigs of rosemary
4 tbsp olive oil for the vegetables
2 tbsp olive oil for the potatoes
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6.
2. Place each potato between the handles of two wooden spoons and slice finely, with the spoon handles stopping you from slicing through the whole potato.
3. Remove the steaks from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
4. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and spoon over the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper, a clove of crushed garlic, and a little rosemary.
5. Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes.
6. Put the vegetables into a roasting tin along with the olive oil, rosemary, remaining garlic and a little salt and pepper. Toss until covered with the oil.
7. Roast the vegetables (and continue to roast the potatoes) in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Keep an eye on the vegetables and the potatoes and remove when done.
8. Meanwhile, lightly oil a griddle pan and cook the steaks for 2-3 minutes each side on high heat and 4 minutes each side on a low heat. As they cook, grind on a generous amount of black pepper and sprinkle on a few pinches of sea salt. When done to your liking, rest for 5 minutes.
9. Serve the steaks with the potatoes and vegetables.
