Venison stew with parsnip & apple mash

The lens got a bit steamed up on this one...

We had a houseguest who was getting all excited about seasonal produce in the UK. So I decided that we had to make a feature of game for at least one meal while she was with us!

I had some beetroot as well, so I scratched about the internet and found this recipe for a venison and beetroot casserole. I did it almost as written... but I used dried shiitake mushrooms instead of fresh chestnut mushrooms, didn't put carrots in and used beef stock instead of vegetable stock. And I didn't marinate the meat because I find that often wine-based marinades dry out the meat too much. And I finished the dish with a beurre manie, to thicken it slightly and give it a rich sheen.

As a side dish, I wanted something equally seasonal, so I decided on a parsnip mash.

Parsnip & Apple Mustard Mash

3 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 bramley apple, peeled and chopped
knob of butter
slurp of cream
1tbs seeded mustard (I used a cider mustard)
salt, white pepper & nutmeg

Boil the parsnips in salted water until tender. Drain and shake until dry. In a separate pan, in the tiniest bit of water, cook the apples until they are fluffy. Puree the apples and parsnips together (I used a food processor but a ricer or a fork would be just fine) with the butter, cream and mustard. Return to the pan and reheat, seasoning with salt, freshly ground white pepper and a little nutmeg.