Venison Shoulder with Elderberry-Beach Plum Sauce & Mashed Root Vegetables: A Recipe

This recipe was improvised after doing a little reading on game roasts. As the venison was shot in southern VT by a friend of the family, I wanted to cook it with local ingredients, and highlight some of the unusual and cool things that I've collected around New England.

You should also bear in mind that while I am a trained chef-type, I am not a professional cookbook author/editor. I just wrote down what I did.

2# venison shoulder roast*
2 c. Elderberry Wine**
1 T. dried rosemary
1 T. dried minced garlic
ground black pepper to taste

salt & black pepper to taste
4 T. flour
4 t. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 onion, quartered

2 medium carrots, rough chopped
2 large potatoes, rough chopped
1 medium turnip, rough chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 T. salt
2 T. butter
1/2 c. whole milk

2 T. water and
2 T. cornstarch, combined into a slurry
1/4 c. wild beach plum jelly***
salt and white pepper to taste

Add venison roast to a large zip-top bag with next four ingredients, seal and allow to marinate overnight, up to 48 hours, turning occasionally to maximize marinating.

Remove venison from marinade, pour marinade into crock pot/slow cooker. Season the roast with salt and pepper, then dust with flour. Heat olive oil in a skillet, and brown all sides of the roast. Transfer roast to the slowcooker. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, and transfer all pan juices to the slow cooker. Add the onion quarters to the slow cooker, and set on Low for 8 to 10 hours.

Cover potatoes and root vegetables with water, bring to a boil, and cook until tender. Drain the water, add butter and milk. Add the onions from the slow cooker and mash. (The mash is rustic, chunks are OK!) Season to taste.

While potatoes are cooking, remove the roast and onions from the slow cooker and set aside. Transfer juices from slow cooker to a saucepan, bring to a boil, lower heat, and reduce by half. Strain the sauce into another saucepan, bring back to a boil, add the cornstarch slurry, and cook one more minute, until thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the beach plum jelly. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

Slice and serve the roast with the mashed vegetables and sauce! Yum!

*Thanks to my Uncle Mike for shooting the buck who gave his shoulder to this effort!
**I got this from Grand View Winery in East Calais, VT.
***This came from the Chatham Jam & Jelly Shop, Chatham, MA