From Vic's kitchen

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Hairdresser Victor 'Vic' Verwey relaxes by cooking in the evenings.

He's quite a pro in this hobby. His shelves are full of cook books, and friends often visit to enjoy one of his delicious meals.

Here is one of his favourite recipes:

Hunter's pot (serves 6 - 8):

Marinade
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
10 garlic cloves, peeled
5 juniper berries, bruised (optional)
10 black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
500ml dry red wine
250ml olive or sunflower oil (or half of each)
1,5kg shoulder of venison, deboned, sinews removed, cut into 25mm cubes
30ml olive oil · 125g rindless bacon, chopped · 30ml cake flour· 100 g dried peaches· 500ml stock
30ml lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
125ml fresh parsley, chopped

Method
Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Pour over a single layer of the meat in a suitable bowl. Cover with cling wrap and leave in the fridge overnight. Drain the marinade, and pat meat dry. Pour the marinade through a sieve and reserve vegetables and liquid.

Heat olive oil in a three-legged pot (or heavy-bottomed pot on stove plate) and fry the bacon until crisp. Remove. Fry the meat cubes, a small quantity at a time, over high heat until golden brown. Remove, and repeat the process. Sauté the vegetables over moderate heat until soft.

Stir the flour into the vegetables and stirfry. Add the bacon and meat to the vegetables in the pot, as well as the dried peaches, stock and lemon juice. Add about 250ml of the reserved marinade and bring to a boil. Season.

Reduce heat and simmer over moderated heat until the meat is tender. Add more stock or water if necessary. Add parsley.

A tip from Vic:
Serve with pearl wheat or freshly baked pot bread and salad.

A springbok.