This recipe is one of my favorites.
Follow my acorn preparation instructions, then add venison. Venison is farmed in many places, so even if you don’t hunt, this is a treat.ÂÂ
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds of venison stew meat
- 3 TBS of oil or fat marrow bones, if available
- 1 medium onion
- 3 or more garlic cloves
- 2-3 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1/4 cup of boiled acorns*
- Liquid [water and/or soup stock, beer, cider]
- 2 cups of liquid for stew; 4 cups for soup
- Non-essential but nice: nasturtium petals
- Salt, pepper, spices to your taste
* Boiled acorns
1. Peel the outer shells from acorns.
2. Split the acorns and put them in a pot of cold water.
3. Bring the water to a boil.
4. Pour this first pot of water into a container to use as an astringent, skin. toner, or soothing agent for irritated skin.
5. Rinse acorns, put fresh cold water in the pot and repeat the process.
6. Taste an acorn, if it bitter repeat the process until it acorns are palatable and ready to use.
Venison Stew Preparation:
1. Brown the onion and garlic in olive oil, vegetable oil, bacon fat or whatever you prefer.
2. Stir in the stew meat and brown.
3. Add the liquid and the marrow bones, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and add nasturtiums.
4. Cover and simmer 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add carrots, celery, boiled acorns and spices and simmer another 15-20 minutes.
The opportunities to experiment are limitless. I find boiled acorns taste
best when warm. Once they cool down, their mealy texture and slightly
astringent quality are more apparent.
Stew of course can be any blend of veggies and/or meat. So use your imagination. These amounts are approximate, depending upon the size of your soup pot and the number of people you’re feeding.