Recipes, Venison Recipes

Val’s pad krapow recipe with a very british gamey twist

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Swap out the minced pork for venison in this Pad Krapow Recipe with a Very British Gamey Twist, and you’ll find yourself with a quick yet outrageously delicious lunch. Venison mince brings a rich, deeply satisfying gamey flavour to this Thai street food staple while giving it a nod to the British countryside. It’s a meeting of two worlds: the bold, fiery flavours of Pad Krapow and the robust, earthy notes of British game.

It’s also a subtle homage to Thailand, where their own species of deer roam wild, making venison a surprisingly fitting choice. This recipe comes courtesy of my good friend Kay Plunkett-Hogge, a marvellously talented teacher of Thai cookery, whose deep understanding of flavour and authenticity brings this dish to life. Whether you’re craving the punch of Thai street food or looking for a creative spin on a classic, this version of Pad Krapow, laced with the unmistakable depth of venison, is sure to delight.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Method

  1. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the bird’s eye chillies, garlic, and a pinch of sea salt together to form a coarse paste.
  2. Heat a wok until it’s smoking hot, then add the vegetable oil.
  3. Add the chilli and garlic paste to the wok and stir-fry for a few seconds until aromatic, being careful not to burn it.
  4. Add the venison mince and stir-fry until it’s almost cooked through.
  5. Stir in the fish sauce (nam pla) and sugar, mixing thoroughly to combine the flavours with the venison.
  6. Add most of the holy basil leaves and stir-fry until they wilt into the mince mixture.
  7. Serve over steamed jasmine rice, topped with a fried egg, and scatter the remaining holy basil leaves over the top for garnish.

Note: If you can’t find holy basil (krapow), you can substitute Thai sweet basil. As a last resort, European basil can be used, but it will alter the dish’s authentic flavour. If using European basil, you might not want to call it Pad Krapow!

Shop the ingredients

Valentine Warner is a chef, food writer, business owner and broadcaster, with a deep interest in nature, travel and provincial food. He describes his cooking style as ‘International Grandmother’ and combines his strong sense of storytelling with his infectious love of cookery. Val has a deep respect and understanding of ingredients, both wild and cultivated, and has the instinctive ability to rustle up hearty and wholesome meals from whatever’s available. Val is an avid proponent of native food sources, and finds common ground with Swaledale in their work to deliver top-notch meat, within a truthful, ethical and high welfare framework. Originally a trained portrait painter, Val has also authored 5 cookbooks, managed his own catering company and is a co-owner of Taqueria, a West London Mexican cafe. Val is also a partner in the Hepple Distillery in Northumberland and Holmen Lofoten hotel on arctic Norway’s Lofoten island.