Game Spice

Game spice, a strong spice blend for deer, venison and roast game

Game spice is the warm-savoury blend for everything the hunting season brings to the plate: deer, venison, wild boar, hare and wild fowl. We compose it in our workshop in Klingenberg am Main from juniper berries, three pepper varieties, cocoa, allspice, chaste-tree pepper, coriander, garlic, cinnamon flowers, orange peel, cloves, thyme and cardamom. The character: strong-warm with a juniper-forest note, a fine chocolate depth from the cocoa and a sweetish-floral tip from cinnamon flowers and orange.

How to use

Game spice for venison ragout, roast venison, saddle of wild boar, leg of deer, game goulash and braised game roast. Also for red-wine marinades, hearty stews, wild fowl such as pheasant or duck and wintry braised dishes with red cabbage. In game terrines and pâtés, in game meatballs and in game sugo. Rub in dry, briefly sear in hot fat or add to the sauce to braise along.

Important: game spice is very aromatic. A level teaspoon per 500 g of meat is usually enough to start. The aromas develop further during braising, so it is better to season sparingly and adjust at the end.

Recipe: classic venison ragout in red wine

A game classic with full seasoning depth for four people.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg venison goulash from the shoulder
• 2 tbsp game spice
• 500 ml dry red wine, 250 ml game stock
• 2 onions, 2 garlic cloves, 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 2 tbsp clarified butter, 50 g dark chocolate (70%)
• 1 tsp Sun Salt Flakes for the marinade, freshly ground Tasmanian pepper for the hot-fruity finish

Method: Pat the venison goulash dry, season with 1 tbsp game spice and salt, sear sharply in clarified butter in portions and remove. Brown onions, garlic and soup vegetables in the roasting pot, deglaze with red wine and game stock, return the meat to the pot, add the rest of the game spice. Braise covered for 90 minutes over low heat. Stir in the chocolate, season the sauce with Tasmanian pepper. Serve with spätzle, red cabbage and cranberries.

Why this game spice? The cocoa binds the juniper berries in velvety and harmonises with the dark chocolate in the sauce. Tasmanian pepper with its fruity-aniseed heat is the exciting alternative to standard pepper and suits the game aromatics like little else.

At a glance

• A spice blend with juniper berries, three pepper varieties and cocoa
• A warm-savoury character with a chocolate note and juniper-forest depth
• Workshop quality from Klingenberg am Main
• No flavour enhancers, anti-caking agents or additives
• Versatile as game spice, deer spice, venison spice and braising spice

Goes well with

A pepper finish is given by the hot-fruity Tasmanian pepper, the oriental-complex cubeb pepper or the resinous-balsamic chaste-tree pepper – all three play with the juniper berry in the game spice. Salt for marinade and sauce: Sun Salt Flakes or the mineral African pearl salt. You can lift the chocolate note of the game spice to a Mexican depth with our Mole – a tablespoon in the sauce. For classic game side dishes, our lamb spice rounds out the range, and the Hungarian goulash spice for the game-goulash variant. A sweet-fruity side is provided by our mango chutney. You can find more in our spice blends collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which game do I season with game spice?
Classically deer, venison, wild boar, hare and fallow deer. Also very well suited for wild fowl such as pheasant, wild duck and quail. For game goulash, roast game, game terrines and game ragouts. With hare and tender cuts, dose a little more sparingly.

Why the cocoa in the game spice?
Dark cocoa brings a fine bitter-sweet depth that gives the game aroma a rounded finish and embeds the juniper berries in velvety. In Mexico and France a classic seasoning component for game ragouts and Mole.

How do I best season roast game?
Rub the roast with game spice and salt the day before and let it steep overnight in the fridge. Before roasting, warm it briefly, sear sharply and braise until done in the oven or roasting pot. The spice releases its depth into the roasting sauce.

What is the difference from plain juniper berries?
Juniper berries are a single spice with a forest-resin note, perfect for sauerkraut and pickling brines. Game spice is a finished composition of juniper berries plus twelve further components that round off braised dishes without any further seasoning.