Recipe: Venison Meatballs With Buffalo Mozzarella

A holiday favourite, perfectly suited to times for gathering with family and friends

Our Minaret Station chefs have created a very special recipe for you to enjoy during the holidays for your next shared dinner occasion. These flavorsome slow-braised Alpine Wild Venison meatballs with buffalo mozzarella and rigatoni pasta grant the perfect opportunity to combine fresh ingredients from your summer garden with a delicious local protein from Alpine Deer. Pairing perfectly with your favourite pinot noir, this recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser this holiday season.

• Ingredients: Meatballs

  • 500grm Alpine Wild Venison mince

  • 100gr pork mince

  • 1 x large, diced shallot or small-med onion

  • 3 x diced garlic cloves

  • 1 x egg

  • 100ml milk

  • 60gr panko crumbs

  • 1 x peeled and grated carrot

  • 2 x tblsp wholegrain mustard 

  • 3 x tbsp chopped fresh parsley

  • 2 x tbsp Fennel seeds

  • 50gr grated fresh parmesan  

  • Salt and pepper

• Ingredients: Vegetables and pasta

  • 300gr cavatelli or rigatoni pasta

  • 1 x bunch washed spinach

  • 1 x bunch broccolini

  • 1 x bunch cavolo nero or silverbeet – stems removed  

  • 250gr torn buffalo mozzarella

• Ingredients: Sauce

  • 1 x jar tomato passata sauce

  • 2 x tbsp tomato paste

  • 1 x fresh red chilli – diced, and seeds removed

  • 1 x large, diced shallot

  • 2 x minced garlic cloves  

  • 4 x sprigs chopped thyme

  • 60gr sugar

  • 150ml wine

• Ingredients: Garnish

  • Grated parmesan

  • Chopped Sage

  • Chopped basil

  • Sliced Spring onions

Venison meatballs

Step 1
Add diced onion, fennel seeds, and garlic to a small pan with a touch of olive oil. On low heat, slowly cook onion and garlic out until soft and translucent. Set aside.

Step 2
Prepare venison meatball mixture. Place the egg, milk and parmesan in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add venison and pork mince, carrot, mustard, parsley and breadcrumbs. Add in the cooked onion, garlic and fennel seeds. Mix well to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3
Roll the mixture into balls, taking time to ensure each meatball is consentient in size, around 4cm. Set aside.  

Step 4
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the meatballs in 2 batches, turning, for 6-8 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.  

Sauce

Step 1
For the sauce, in the same pan on low to medium heat, add olive oil, onion, garlic and chilli. Cook onion, garlic, chilli out until soft – around 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the chopped thyme, wine, passata, 1 cup water, sugar and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2
Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce, cook on low heat for around 30 minutes, until the sauce is deep in colour and rich.  Set aside.

Step 3
Preheat oven to 190°C.  

Prepare pasta and then bake

Step 1
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until tender around 8mins. Drain and refresh in cold water. Set aside

Step 2
Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof dish. Add the cavolo nero and broccolini and cook for 4 minutes or until just starting to colour. Add spinach, pasta, tomato sauce, and mix in well to combine. Place meatballs on top of pasta and vegetable mix, followed by torn pieces of mozzarella cheese

Step 3
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling and cheese is golden.

To garnish, add sliced spring onion, sage, basil, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.