Stuffed wild cannelloni

If you're a fan of lasagna and in general pasta dishes, this will be a true winner dinner.
These ones are stuffed with minced fallow deer, but I'll bet it be good with other types of deer as well.

Ingredients:

Fallow deer ragu:

• 300 g fallow deer (or wild boar, roe- or red deer)

• 500 g cannelloni

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 garlic, finely chopped

• 1 handful fresh basil

• 1 can chopped tomatoes

• Salt, pepper

• Parmesan, finely grated for topping

Béchamel sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp flour

• 400 ml milk

• 50 g cheese

• Salt, pepper and nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).

To make the venison ragu as your cannelloni filling, add oil to a frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. Cook the venison until evenly colored. In a large saucepan, add garlic and fry for 4-5 minutes.

Next, add the chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, salt and pepper and cook out for 2 minutes. Place the meat in the saucepan with the tomato sauce and cover with lid. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the venison is very tender and soft. Remove the lid and reduce on a high heat until you are left with a rich ragout. Season with salt and pepper to taste and reserve until required.

While the ragu is cooking, let's prepare the béchamel sauce. Melt butter on low heat, add flour in small amounts while whisking. Slowly add milk and continue to whisk so no lumps can create in your sauce. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Melt the cheese over a low heat until it is fully incorporated.

Now we can fill our cannelloni. Spoon the fallow deer filling into your dry cannelloni pasta and place in a baking tray. Pour béchamel sauce over the filled cannelloni rolls and sprinkle parmesan and olive oil on top. Season with salt and pepper and bake in oven for about 40 min.

Happy hunting & happy cooking.

Photo: October 2020. One week earlier I hunted my first fallow buck. Within a week I was privileged to hunt my second one.