Venison bourguignon with dark chocolate & star anise | Taste of France®

Ingredients

• 800 g/1lb 12oz venison haunch (cut into large cubes)
• 1 l/35fl oz/4 cups red wine (such as French Southern Rhône)
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed with the blade of a knife)
• 1 star anise
• 3 tbsp Cognac
• 100 ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose flour)
• 600 ml/21fl oz/scant 2½ cups beef stock
• 1 bouquet garni
• 12 silverskin onions
• 30 g/1 oz dark organic chocolate (70% cocoa solids, grated)
• 100 g/3½ oz thick pancetta (diced)
• 2 handfuls of mixed seasonal wild mushrooms (such as girolles, horn of plenty and chanterelles)
• 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves (roughly chopped)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper