Studded venison leg with pumpkin gnocchi

Ingredients (serves 6):

For the venison leg:

• 1.2 kg boneless venison leg

• 200 g smoked bacon

• 500 g onion

• 200 g carrot

• 100 g celery root

• 200 g fresh tomatoes

• 100 g dried plums

• 100 g pork lard

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 hot chili pepper

• 300 ml red wine

• 1 liter meat stock

• salt to taste

For the pumpkin gnocchi:

• 500 g pumpkin

• 100 g corn flour

• 50 g butter

• 2 eggs

• salt to taste

Preparation:
After marinating the venison leg for 24 hours in a game marinade, stud it with strips of bacon. Sear it on all sides in hot pork lard. Add roughly chopped root vegetables, dried plums, and tomatoes, as well as bay leaves and the hot pepper.

Simmer gently in a covered pot in its own juices. After about 45 minutes, start gradually adding the meat stock. Toward the end of cooking, pour in the red wine. Once the meat is tender, remove it from the pot. Blend the vegetables with a hand blender to create a smooth sauce, and add salt to taste if needed.

Preparing the gnocchi:
Peel and deseed the pumpkin, then steam or cook it with very little water until soft. Mash the cooked pumpkin and mix with corn flour, some all-purpose flour, butter, and eggs to form a smooth dough. Shape the dough into gnocchi and cook them in plenty of salted boiling water until they float to the top.

Slice the venison into thin medallions, drizzle with the sauce, and serve alongside the warm pumpkin gnocchi.

Recommended drink pairing:
Red wine – Pinot Noir or Zweigelt