Vickys Venison Cider Casserole

• 675 grams venison shoulder, diced
• 5 tbsp gluten-free / plain flour
• 2 tbsp sunflower spread / butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 500 grams butternut squash, pumpkin or sweet potato, peeled and diced into big chunks
• 1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored & diced into chunks
• 400 ml apple cider (or pure apple juice)
• 3 tbsp free-from worcestershire sauce or soy sauce from my links below
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 100 grams frozen peas
• 2 tsp gravy granules * see note below * or 2 tsp cornflour / corn starch

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3 / 170C / 325F or set a slow cooker / crockpot on high
2. Season the flour with salt & pepper then toss the venison in the flour.
3. Melt the sunflower spread in a frying pan and brown the diced venison.
4. Don't cook it right through
5. Remove the venison from the pan and put it into a large casserole dish or slow cooker.
6. Put the pan back on the stove
7. Layer the onion on top of the venison in the casserole dish, then the butternut squash / sweet potato then the apple
8. Pour the cider into the frying pan.
9. Bring it to the boil then stir in the cinnamon, worcestershire sauce & maple syrup and take off the heat
10. Pour into the casserole dish, put the lid on and cook for 2.5 - 3 hours in the oven or for 4 - 5 hours on high in the slow cooker, adding the peas in the last 20 minutes of cooking
11. Let stand 10 minutes then toss very gently to mix before serving
12. To thicken the gravy, strain the liquid into a saucepan and boil.
13. Add 2 tsp gravy granules or 2 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water into the pan and stir.
14. Keep stirring throughout to avoid clumping
15. Add the gravy back into the casserole and serve with crusty bread or seasonal vegetables
16. *Bisto Original Gravy Granules in the brown cardboard rectangular box is dairy, egg and soy-free with but contains wheat which is a shame as the main ingredient is potato starch.
17. Bisto Best Gravy in the glass jars are free from gluten, dairy and egg but contain soya lecithins.
18. There are other free-from gravy granules available such as the Kallo brand that are also gluten-etc-free

venison shoulder, flour, sunflower, onion, cooking apple, apple cider, worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, frozen peas, gravy granules

Taken from cookpad.com/us/recipes/363435-vickys-venison-cider-casserole (may not work)