Hedy's Venison Stew

I've spent the past 6 days in 3 different countries, had two 3:30am starts and haven't quite caught up with myself yet, so I think it apt to write a post from Greece on a supposedly Turkish blog about a Scottish recipe cooked by a South African.

We are all encouraged to eat as naturally as possible and one of the most wholesome sources of meat must be venison.  Allowed to wander where it fancies, feeding on grass and shrubs in the Highlands, miles away from chemicals and pollution, drinking pure water and having a jolly life until the gamekeeper's expert bullet kills immediately.  Despite its organic credentials, it's a dish I'm often reluctant to eat (unless it's a filet cut) because the very low fat content can make it a tricky meat to cook successfully and I've sat down to a fair number of venison stews that could take a week to chew through. Unfortunately, I've cooked a few of them myself.  So it was a real treat to enjoy probably the tenderest venison I've ever eaten, prepared by Hedy. She was very generous with the secret of her succulent stew, even though I had to ask her to repeat it 3 times as it is a name quite alien to me;  Sweetheart Stout! A sweet, black beer with a low alcohol content of only 2%, it used to be recommended drinking for pregnant and breastfeeding mums in the Highlands. Added to sautéed onions, root veg and cubed venison, and simmered for a few hours in a low oven, it makes a fantastic sauce for venison or any other meat stew.  So if there are any Highlanders heading for Bodrum, slip a can or two of Sweetheart Stout in your bag and this blogger will see how it cooks down with Turkish beef.