Casseroles are simply the easiest meals to prepare. First you do all your peeling, slicing and sautéing, then you pop everything into a large pot with a lid and leave it in the oven or on the hob for a couple of hours. In the meantime, you can go for a walk, watch a movie or mow the lawn, then later on, you can settle down to a hearty, warming feast.

SERVES 6–8

• 50g (2oz) butter
• 900g (2lb) venison haunch, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 50g (2oz) plain flour
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 300ml (½ pint) red wine
• 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• about 1.2 litres (2 pints) beef or chicken stock
• 450g (1lb) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1 x 400g (14oz) tin of butter beans, drained and rinsed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).

2 Heat the butter in a large, flameproof casserole with a lid over a medium heat. Season the venison and add to the dish. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the flour and paprika and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring to combine. Pour in the wine and allow it to bubble down, stirring constantly. Mix in the redcurrant jelly with enough stock to just cover the meat.

3 Bring the casserole to the boil, then season to taste. Cover with a lid and put in the oven for 1 hour. After this time, remove from the oven to add the sweet potatoes and butter beans, then continue cooking in the oven for another hour, until the venison and sweet potatoes are tender.

4 Spoon into warmed bowls and garnish with the parsley to serve.

Stuffed beef rolls with red wine sauce

This recipe uses a good-value cut that isn’t as popular as it should be. It’s perfect comfort food for all the family on a chilly winter evening. It does take time, though, because it needs slow cooking to get as much flavour as possible and to become very tender so that when these stuffed beef rolls are finished cooking, you will be able to eat them with a spoon.

SERVES 4

• 4 x 100g (4oz) slices of lean topside of beef
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 600ml (1 pint) beef stock
• 250ml (9fl oz) red wine
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs, plus extra sprigs to garnish
• 1 bay leaf
• creamy mashed potatoes, to serve (optional)

FOR THE STUFFING:

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 parsnips, finely grated
• pinch of mild curry powder
• 3 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).

2 First make the stuffing. Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the grated parsnips and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 20 minutes, until the parsnips are tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, then season to taste. Spread the stuffing in an even layer over the beef slices and roll them up to enclose, securing them with a cocktail stick.

3 To prepare the casserole, heat the oil in a casserole over a high heat and sear the beef parcels until brown all over. Remove to a plate and set aside. Next, sauté the onion, carrots and celery for a few minutes, until they are just catching colour. Add the beef stock, wine, tomato purée, thyme sprigs and bay leaf and bring slowly to the boil. Return the beef to the casserole, then cover and cook in the oven for 1–1½ hours, until the beef rolls are meltingly tender. Season to taste.

4 To serve, remove the cocktail sticks from the beef parcels and cut them into slices. Arrange on warmed plates and pour over the sauce. Garnish with the thyme and add a dollop of mashed potatoes to each one to serve if liked.