DISH RESEARCH · Dish
Civet de Cerf
Catalan-style venison civet slowly braised in red wine, herbs and bittersweet chocolate.
About Civet de Cerf
Civet de cerf belongs to the French and neighbouring European family of long-cooked venison stews. This profile names Saveur’s Catalan version, which marinates the meat in red wine and fresh herbs before finishing the puréed sauce with bittersweet chocolate.
Red wine, onion, leek and celery make the sauce deeply savoury and fruity, while garlic, bay, thyme and rosemary add woodland aromatics. Bittersweet chocolate rounds the wine’s acidity and deepens the stew without making it taste like a dessert.
The venison is served in large, tender chunks beneath a smooth, dark burgundy-brown sauce. Flour and blended vegetables give the liquid body, while melted chocolate leaves the finish glossy and close-textured.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Celery, Sulphites, Wheat (gluten).
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Civet de Cerf
Saveur’s Catalan Venison Civet with Red Wine and Chocolate.
- VenisonLean game-meat base
- SaltSeasoning
- Black pepperPeppery seasoning
- GarlicPungent aromatic
- Yellow onionsSweet savoury aromatic
- CelerySavoury aromatic
- LeeksMellow allium aromatic
- Bay leavesWoody aromatic
- Fresh thymeHerbal aromatic
- Fresh rosemaryResinous herbal aromatic
- Fruity red wineMarinade and braising liquid
- All-purpose flourLight coating and sauce thickener
- Olive oilBrowning fat
- Bittersweet chocolateDark sauce finish
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Venison:
- Salt:
- Black pepper:
- Garlic:
- Yellow onions: . Yellow onion is retained as the source form and linked to the established onion route
- Celery:
- Leeks:
- Bay leaves:
- Fresh thyme:
- Fresh rosemary:
- Fruity red wine: . Red wine is retained exactly and Sulphites are declared; the source suggests garnacha but does not require one bottling
- All-purpose flour: . All-purpose flour is mapped to the established wheat-flour route and Wheat is declared
- Olive oil:
- Bittersweet chocolate: . The source does not identify a brand or complete chocolate formula
Origins & food traditions
Saveur supplies the complete Catalan venison civet selected here and explicitly identifies it as a Catalan game stew. The independent civet de cerf reference documents the broader French venison-civet identity, including wine-marinated deer, aromatics and slow braising, supporting the dish family while this profile names its Catalan version.
Countries
- Spain
- MauritiusCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- Catalan Cuisine
- Spanish Cuisine
- Mauritian CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.