Description
Make this easy homemade venison meatballs recipe in just a few steps. Use fresh cranberries, cranberry jam, port and wine to make the tasty berry sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 45ml (3 tbsp) vegetable oil
- 1 large (1 cup) onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
- 1kg (2 1/4lbs) venison mince
- 250ml (1 cup) breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, whisked
- 250ml (1 cup) cranberries
- 250ml (1 cup) red wine
- 90ml (6 tbsp) port
- 30ml (2 tbsp) cranberry jelly
- 1 beef stock cube, crumbled
- 2 thyme sprigs
Instructions
- Using a large frying pan, gently fry the onion and garlic in 15ml (1 tbsp) of oil until softened. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and place in a large mixing bowl and wait for the mixture to cool down.
- Add the breadcrumbs, venison and egg to the onions, season generously with salt and pepper, and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Shape the meatballs to be about 5cm (2in) in diameter. Continue doing so until all the mince is finished.
- Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and brown the meatballs on all sides.
- Add the cranberries and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the wine, port, jelly, stock and thyme and let the sauce reach a slow simmer.
- Continue to cook the meatballs in the sauce until they’re cooked through, which would take about 10 minutes.
- Serve on a bed of wild rice or creamy mashed potatoes.
Notes
- The cranberries used can be fresh or frozen. If using the latter, thaw them first.
- If you can’t get hold of cranberry jelly, you can substitute it with red or blackcurrant. In fact, any berry-based jam will do!
- Can’t get hold of venison? This recipe works with beef as well.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Scottish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 3.4g
- Sodium: 154mg
- Fat: 8.8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8g
- Carbohydrates: 19.7g
- Fiber: 2.3g
- Protein: 4.9g
- Cholesterol: 27mg