Sornstag

Ingredients

• ¼ cup fine breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves; 2 peeled and left whole, 2 pressed or grated
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• 2.5 pounds venison chuck or rump, cut into 1½-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• About 4 teaspoons neutral oil
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.13 teaspoon ground cloves
• ¾ cup dry red wine
• ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
• ⅔ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Line a plate with paper towels.
2. In a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, toast the breadcrumbs, stirring constantly, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 3 minutes. Scrape the breadcrumbs into a small bowl, and carefully wipe out the pan.
3. Add the olive oil and whole garlic to the pan, return it to medium heat, and cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute. Add the almonds and cook, stirring constantly, until browned and fragrant, about 1 minute (be vigilant, as they can burn quickly). With a slotted spoon, scoop the almonds and garlic onto the prepared plate to drain. Add the garlic and ⅓ cup of the almonds to the breadcrumbs; reserve the remaining almonds separately. Pour the oil from the pan into a small bowl and set aside. Carefully wipe out the pan.
4. Sprinkle the venison all over with 1½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Set the pan over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons of the neutral oil, and warm until shimmering. Add about one-third of the venison, so the pieces are close together in a single layer, but not touching, and cook, undisturbed, until well browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the pieces and cook, undisturbed, until the second side is well browned, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the venison to a large bowl. Repeat to brown the remaining meat in one or two batches, adding more oil if needed, and adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid scorching. Transfer to the bowl with the first batch.
5. Set the sauté pan over medium heat, add the reserved olive oil, and allow it to warm for a moment. Add the onions, bay leaves, thyme, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any caramelized bits, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the pressed garlic, cinnamon, and cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 40 seconds. Add the wine, adjust the heat to medium-high, and bring to a strong simmer, again scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any caramelized bits. Add the chicken broth and venison with any accumulated juices, stir to combine, and return to a strong simmer. Cover the pan, adjust the heat to medium-low to maintain a bare simmer, and let simmer until the venison is tender, about 2 hours.
6. Using a small liquid measuring cup or mug, scoop about ½ cup of the cooking liquid from the pan. Add the cocoa powder and stir until uniform. Pour the cocoa mixture back into the pan, add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and stir to combine.
7. With the same measuring cup or mug, scoop another ½ cup of cooking liquid from the pan and transfer to a blender. Add the reserved breadcrumb-almond mixture and about ¼ cup of the parsley and blend until the nuts are pulverized and the mixture is thick and very smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender jar at least once during that time. Scrape the mixture into the pan, stir to combine thoroughly, and partially cover the pan. Continue to cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally, until the stew is thickened, 15 to 25 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaves if desired, add about ⅓ cup parsley, and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Divide the sornstag among individual bowls, sprinkle each with a few of the reserved toasted almonds and some parsley. Serve immediately.