I often end up with a surplus of venison and there is only so much stew you can eat… so to expand my culinary repertoire I am considering investing in sausage making gear. Is it worth the hassle or should I stick to burgers?

DOM HOLTAM replies: Sausage or burger – it is one of life’s great dilemmas. For me there is only one answer… both! Once you have a mincer you are good to go with burgers – shape a patty by hand or invest in a burger press for a more professional look.

The next step is mastering sausage making. It is more complex and you will need casings and a sausage press/stuffer. The technique takes a while to get right, but I can honestly say that homemade sausages are one of the best things to have stocked in the freezer.

The experiments with size and flavour are endless and once you have got these sussed, why not work on the next evolution… a venison salami?