This Balkan-Style Venison Stew Recipe has a rich, flavorful broth and is loaded with potatoes and peppers. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
This venison dish was inspired by a recipe called “dive bar veal stew” by Aida Ibiševic of the Balkan Lunch Box. Aida’s stew is light and simple, with tender veal and signature southeastern European flavors, including the heavy use of peppers. She wrote on her blog:
“Veal stew (sometimes it’s just called veal soup) is one of those meals that’s on the (unwritten) menu of almost every kafana (kah-fah-nah) and restaurant … [in the] Balkans. Kafana is what we call an old school bar.”
I adapted Aida’s recipe for venison by using a shoulder from a young deer. However, meat from an older...