Slow-Cooked Venison Sausages with Capsicum, Tarragon & Mustard

With rain battering the windows and daylight battling with the clouds, there’s only one thing to do: linger around the stove, taking in the smells and sounds of aromatics, hearty sausages and herbs gently bubbling away; occasionally venturing closer to stir and watch the as a thick sauce develops. Slow-cooked meals are the epitome of comfort.

This dish is very simple to make, yet every ingredient lends a beautiful flavour. I love tarragon at the moment; this herb is sweet and fragrant, and lends itself very well to mustard.

After cooking for several hours, the capsicum goes velvety soft and sweet. I use a mix of red and yellow capsicums to give the dish variety of colour.

Save this recipe for a rainy day – we’ve got plenty in the forecast at the moment!

This recipe was first published in the Taupo Herald 04/2023. I contribute recipes on a regular basis to this local publication, which will also be shared here on my website. Keep an eye out on each week’s publication for my newest recipes!

Slow-Cooked Venison Sausages with Capsicum, Tarragon & Mustard

Recipe by Olivia MooreCourse: Mains, Recipes

Servings

4-6

servings

Total time

2

hours 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 550g venison sausages

• 2 onions, halved and sliced into wedges

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 stick celery, finely chopped

• 2 capsicums, core removed, sliced into 2cm strips

• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds

• 75g shoulder bacon, chopped

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 2 tsp grated horseradish

• 1 tsp white vinegar

• 1 tsp dried tarragon

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup cream

• 2 tsp mustard

Directions

• Heat oil in a large saucepanpan over medium-high heat. Add sausages and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until nicely browned all over.
• Remove sausages from the pan and set aside, then add onion, garlic and celery to the hot pan. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until well browned in spots. Add capsicum and caraway seeds, and cook for 3 minutes until vibrant.
• Add bacon and vinegar, and cook for 1 minute, then add wine, sugar, horseradish, tarragon, salt and 2 cups of water. Nestle in the cooked sausages.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 ½ hours, until deeply caramelised and reduced. Remove from heat.
• Whisk the cream and mustard in a small bowl to combine, then add to the pan and gently stir through. Season well with pepper.
• Serve hot, with a drizzle of cream and a sprinkle of thinly sliced spring onions.