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Deer in Red Wine

January 30, 2007
13:44 PM

I was talking to some people last night (who will remain anonymous) who told this lovely story about Charles Haughey from the eighties.
While our great and charismatic leader was living in Haugheyland, otherwise known as Kinsealy, surrounded by his usual trappings of grandeur he decided to cull one of the deer which it was his pleasure to allow to roam throughout the estate.
My friend, who at that stage was farming deer in Wicklow, was summoned to the august presence to do the necessary.
A few days later he was telephoned and asked about cooking the same deer.
The advice, given the age of the beast was to marinade the meat in some red wine to flavour and tenderise it.
After some days had passed the deer farmer was once again summoned to Haugheyland to approve of the marinating process.
There to his astonishment he found the deer, whole intact and unbutchered steeping in a vast vat of red wine, possibly about 20 gallons which would be about the equivalent of ten cases.
Knowing that Charlie wasn’t renowned for buying cheaply in wines (or indeed in shirts) one must assume that this was probably good claret or burgundy.
The mind boggles as to the cost of the marinade, well in excess of a thousand pounds even in those days.
One can only hope the resulting venison was delicious.

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  Martin Dwyer
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