Maple-braised Venison Bourguignon

Comfort food at its best: this venison bourguignon is indulgent, warming and packed with robust seasonal flavours. Featuring succulent venison, red wine gravy, and subtle notes of pure maple syrup from Canada. A recipe from the Federation of Québec Maple Syrup Producers and We Love Maple, reproduced with permission.

This Canadian venison bourguignon recipe comes courtesy of We Love Maple, a company that no longer exists, on behalf of the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers group.

The recipe has been reproduced with permission.

Ingredients for venison bourguignon

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Flour the cubes of meat, then brown them in the olive oil in a large oven-proof casserole dish.
3. Add the onions and maple syrup. Reduce for 1 minute.
4. Add the wine, broth, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves and the rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and bake in the oven for about 2 hours.
5. In a large pan, fry the cubes of foie gras. Remove from the pan. Set aside. Immediately fry the onions in the duck fat left in the pan. Set aside.
6. Thirty minutes before cooking has finished, add the pearl onions, carrots, celery and fried mushrooms to the casserole dish. Once cooked, add the foie gras cubes and sprinkle with parsley. Serve and enjoy.

Memories of Montreal, Quebec

When I was 14, our class went on a skiing trip to Montreal, Québec. It was a rather grand adventure for me, and it was the longest road-trip, at that time, that I’d ever taken – a drive all the way from Cape Breton Island on the east coast of Canada to the grand city of Montreal.

We spent one evening at the Québec Winter Carnival in Québec City – the largest winter carnival in the world.

I remember the ice sculptures – there was an International Ice Sculpture Competition going on and I remember being in awe at the sheer size of the exhibits, including a huge ice castle you could walk inside of.

Taffy maple syrup

I remember it being bitterly cold in Quebec, although I was wearing my brand new black and green ski jacket. Oh gosh, I loved that ski jacket!

My best friend and I were wandering around taking in the sights at the festival and we stumbled across a street food vendor rolling taffy maple syrup in the snow.

I broke a $100 bill (quite possibly the only $100 I have ever had in my possession) to buy my friend and I each one of these soft maple syrup candies on a lollipop stick.

Oh, the flavour! It was amazing – the warm, sticky maple syrup sweetness. It dripped down the inside of the cuff of my brand-new ski jacket, but I didn’t care. It tasted amazing!

Fast forward 25 years, and on the other side of the Atlantic, I find myself eating Québec maple syrup yet again, courtesy of We Love Maple, as they’d sent us a few samples to try.

How is maple syrup made?

Maple syrup is made from the maple tree sap, harvested between early March and the end of April when the sap starts running again after the Winter. Each tree is tapped with a three-inch deep hole into which a metal spile is fixed. A lidded metal bucket is hung from the spile, and the sap drains into it.

The sap is then transported to a sugar house, which is boiled down into the maple syrup we are familiar with. I remember an elderly neighbour boiling maple syrup in his garden when I was young.

What are the four grades of maple syrup?

There are four grades of maple syrup: extra light, light, medium and amber.

1. Extra light maple syrup is primarily produced from the syrup collected at the very beginning of the season. It is recognisable by its light colour and sweet, delicate flavour.
2. Light maple syrup is harvested after the extra light syrup and is still relatively light in colour with a pure, delicate taste. This grade is ideal in vinaigrettes or drizzled over sweet and savoury dishes.
3. Medium maple syrup is the most commonly used syrup, harvested after light syrup. It has a more pronounced maple flavour and is perfect for cooking, desserts and sauces.
4. Amber maple syrup is much darker in colour with a rich, distinctive flavour that is more pronounced than that of medium syrup. It is recommended for sauces and glazes.

As a family, we put the four grades of maple syrup on a taste test with some brioche French toast for Sunday brunch. We started with the light syrup – lovely and sweet with a mild hint of maple. Next is the amber – a stark contrast from the light with a rich, intense maple flavour. The medium maple syrup was the kind we’re accustomed to having on our French toast, while the light tasted between the extra light and medium. The overall favourite was the medium (although I am now quite partial to the strong flavour of the amber).

In addition to drizzling over French toast and pancakes, maple syrup can be used in a wide range of sweet and savoury dishes, like this maple-braised venison bourguignon recipe, courtesy of We Love Maple.

 

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Oatmeal Rhubarb Porridge by Little Sunny Kitchen
Greek Yogurt with Maple Syrup and Cashews by Recipes from a Pantry
Pecan and Maple Ginger Tiffin by Tin & Thyme
Apple Cupcakes with Maple Syrup Frosting by Penne for Your Thoughts
Maple Cinnamon Glazed Plum & Blackberry Sticky Buns by Kavey Eats