The king of the French forest, almost hunted to extinction before the Second World War, the cerf is now back in numbers in the wooded mountains. The antler-less doe is called a biche, which is also a term of affection for a woman, as in ma biche...
In the kitchen, the most popular cuts of venison are filets and haunches (cuissot or gigues), which are usually roasted. Fore-end pieces such as the shoulder are stewed.
Image by Massimo Catarinella Mehmet Karatay