22 November 2021

The time for gathering with friends and family is growing closer. 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

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

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

Garnish

Grated parmesan
Chopped Sage
Chopped basil
Sliced Spring onions

Method:

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

Prepare 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.
Prepare 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.