Venison stew with juniper berries and dark beer

Name: Venison stew with juniper berries and dark beer
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 800 g stewing venison, in 4 cm cubes; 2 tablespoons flour; 40 g butter; 3 onions, in half rings; 2 carrots, sliced; 1 tablespoon tomato purée; 500 ml dark abbey beer; 250 ml stock; 10 dried juniper berries, lightly crushed; 2 bay leaves; 3 sprigs of thyme; 2 slices of dense spiced gingerbread (peperkoek), spread with 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard; salt and pepper

Updated on 9 October 2026

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 30 min + 2½ hrs stewing
From: Common juniper

Ingredients

800 g stewing venison, in 4 cm cubes
2 tablespoons flour
40 g butter
3 onions, in half rings
2 carrots, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato purée
500 ml dark abbey beer
250 ml stock
10 dried juniper berries, lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme
2 slices of dense spiced gingerbread (peperkoek), spread with 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
salt and pepper

Method

Pat the meat dry and dust it with the flour, salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a casserole and brown the meat in batches on all sides. Take it out of the pan.
Soften the onions and carrots in the same pan for 5 minutes and stir in the tomato purée.
Deglaze with the beer, scraping up the browned bits. Return the meat to the pan and add the stock, juniper berries, bay leaves and thyme. Lay the gingerbread on top.
Cover and simmer gently for 2–2½ hours, until the meat is tender. Stir now and then.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme and season with salt, pepper and perhaps a splash of vinegar. Serve with chips or mashed potatoes.

Storing: 3 days in the fridge (the stew is even better the next day) or 3 months in the freezer. Use juniper berries as a spice, not in large quantities. The shrubs are protected in nature reserves: buy dried berries or only pick in your own garden.