With autumn comes great game. And venison is one of my favourites. It's lean, rich and if cooked correctly, it's beautifully tender. Here's my favourite way of cooking a venison loin / fillet.
Ingredients (for 4 people): 500g loin fillet of venison; a small bunch of rosemary; 4 or 5 juniper berries; a whole head of garlic; 2 glasses of red wine or port; a glug or two of rapeseed oil; one heaped teaspoon of redcurrant jelly; salt and black pepper.
Method: Pre-heat the oven to around Gas mark 6 (200 C). Crush the juniper berries and chop finely with the rosemary, then mix with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the mixture thinly over a chopping board. Lightly brush the venison fillet with olive oil then roll in the herb/spice mixture so it's evenly coated. Place into a hot frying pan with a little oil (one that's ovenproof) and sear on all sides for five minutes. Add one glass of the wine or port and the garlic and place in the oven for around 10-12 minutes (to achieve medium). Remove from the oven and rest the venison for 5 minutes on a carving board. In the meantime, remove the garlic from its peel and mash it into the liquid. Turn up the heat under the pan and add the 2nd glass of wine or port. Reduce by half, then turn down the heat again and add the redcurrant jelly and a wee knob of butter. Carve across the venison fillet to create thin discs of meat and place on pre-heated serving plates. Add any juices from the carving board into the sauce and stir in well. Pour the sauce over the vension.
Serve with Cavalo Nero or Green Beans and the Dauphinoise shown below.
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