This rich, hearty recipe is absolutely perfect for weekend cooking, when the slow rhythms of chopping and stirring are required to soothe. It requires minimal effort and just a little patience.
It's also a magnificent recipe to cook around a campfire, whether you're bravely wild camping in the Autumn, or looking for something warming come bonfire night.
Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover them with water. Add a generous pinch of salt, give the beans a stir and allow them to soak for 10 –12 hours, or overnight. Drain the beans and place them in a large pan. Cover with fresh water, bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are just tender – about 45 minutes should do it.
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 6.
Set a large, heavy-based saucepan, that has a lid, over a medium high heat.
Add a little lard, when it’s hot, add the bacon lardons and sausages and fry them until everything is golden brown and smelling delicious. Lift the bacon and sausages out of the pan and set aside.
Season the pieces of venison with salt and pepper and add them to the hot pan. Fry the venison, on all sides until caramalised and golden. Add the onions and garlic. Fry these, stirring regularly until they are soft and just beginning to caramalise around the edges.
Cut the sausages into bite sized pieces and return them to the pan along with the bacon. Add the sage, bay, thyme and rosemary and some black pepper. Stir in the canned tomatoes, molasses and red wine vinegar. Add the drained cooked beans and about 500ml of water.
Put a lid on the pan and let it cook gently in the pre-heated oven for 2 hours or until the venison beans are nice and tender. If it look a little dry at any point add a splash of water.
When you’re happy, remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for at least 10 –15 minutes before serving.
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