Mushroom and Venison Stroganoff

1lb. egg noodles
olive oil
1 medium red onion finely chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic finely sliced
1 1/2 - 2 pounds venison, trimmed and sliced into 3/4" pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
10 ounces of mushrooms, torn/cut into bite-sized pieces
Small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped, remove stalks
1/2 stick of butter
Good splash brandy or wine (1/2 cup)
1 zested lemon (no juice needed)
1 cup sour cream


Cook the egg noodles according to the package instructions until it's just undercooked and drain in a colander. Put the noodles back in the pot, cover with aluminum foil and set aside. Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and pour in a glug of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes until softened and golden. Remove from the heat and spoon the onions and garlic out of the pan onto a plate. Set aside.
Season the meat well with salt, pepper, cumin and the paprika. Rub and massage these flavorings into the meat. Place the frying pan back on a high heat and pour in some more olive oil. Add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until they start to brown. Then add the meat and fry for a minute or 2 on each side before adding the parsley (you can do this in 2 pans or in batches if your pan is not big enough) and then the cooked onion and garlic. Add the butter and let melt, stir and then add brandy/wine.
Let it simmer for a couple of minutes, then stir in the lemon zest and the sour cream, re-season to taste. Continue simmering for a few minutes. Any longer than this and the meat will toughen up - it doesn't need long, as it's been cut up so small.
Combine into pot of egg noodles and serve