Spiced venison with braised red cabbage and butternut squash puree
Serves 4
FOR THE BRAISED CABBAGE
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium red onions, peeled, halved and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
½ red cabbage, peeled, halved, cored and finely sliced
50ml red wine vinegar
125ml red wine
125ml cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
Small bunch fresh thyme, leaves removed
2 wide pieces fresh orange peel
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large ovenproof saucepan or flameproof casserole dish and add the onion, garlic and seasoning. Cover and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes until very soft, stirring occasionally.
Add the remaining oil and cabbage. Cook over a high heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and simmer for a few seconds. Boil the red wine and cassis in a small pan until reduced by half. Pour over the cabbage and onion. Add the cinnamon, thyme and orange peel.
Bring the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Cover surface with a disc of baking parchment, put a lid on top and bake for 2 hours until the cabbage is very tender.
Place the saucepan or casserole dish on the hob and remove the lid and baking parchment. Add the redcurrant jelly and melt into the cabbage mixture, stirring constantly. Season to taste. FOR THE VENISON
INGREDIENTS
4 x 150g pieces venison loin (preferably fallow deer), trimmed See tip 1
3 tbsp spice mix (see recipe below)
1 tbsp olive oil
20g unsalted butter
Fine sea salt METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Season the venison with salt then coat in the spices and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan and cook the venison over a high heat until browned on each side – 1-2 minutes on each side should be enough. See tip 2
Add the butter and when melted, put the frying pan in the oven and continue cooking for a further 8 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and transfer the venison to a plate and rest for 5 minutes. See tip 3 Put on a board and slice thickly. FOR THE SPICE MIX
INGREDIENTS
50g juniper berries
50g black peppercorns
20g star anise
15 cinnamon sticks METHOD
Blend in food processor until very finely ground. Keep in an airtight container until needed. Spread the required amount onto a small, metal tray and heat in a hot oven for 2 minutes before using.FOR THE VENISON SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp groundnut or sunflower oil
500g venison trimmings
½ medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
100ml red wine
4 juniper berries
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, peeled
300ml fresh chicken stock (preferably organic)
200ml veal or beef stock (preferably organic)
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly METHOD
Put the oil in a large, shallow pan over a high heat and fry the venison pieces for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally until evenly browned.
Add the onion and carrots and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden. Pour over the red wine vinegar and bring to the boil. Tip the meat and vegetables into a colander over a bowl.
Return the pan to the heat and add the red wine. Bring to the boil, stirring to lift the richly flavoured sediment from the bottom of the pan (deglaze). Transfer to a medium saucepan and add the venison pieces and vegetables. Add juniper, rosemary, thyme and garlic.
Add chicken and veal, or beef stock, to just cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 ½ hours, occasionally skimming the surface with a large spoon to remove any froth.
Remove from the heat and tip through a colander or sieve lined with muslin and into a clean saucepan. (Discard the contents of the muslin). Bring the sauce to the boil over a high heat, add the redcurrant jelly and cook for 2-3 minutes until well reduced and syrupy. Season to taste. FOR THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE
INGREDIENTS
50g butter
300g deseeded and diced squash (preferably onion or butternut) or pumpkin
100ml fresh chicken stock (preferably organic)
1 tbsp double cream
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper METHOD
Melt the butter in medium pan and fry the squash very gently with the lid on for 5 minutes until just beginning to colour.
Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 8-10 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat and carefully blend with a stick blender until very smooth and velvety – pass through a sieve if it still seems slightly lumpy.
Transfer the puree to a small saucepan and stir in the double cream. Season to taste and heat through gently, stirring regularly.
TO SERVESpoon a little of the braised cabbage and some butternut squash puree onto four warmed plates. Top with venison, spoon over some venison sauce and serve.
Recipe tips
Use cheap cuts of venison from the leg or shoulder as trimmings – cut into chunky pieces.
Frying the venison and vegetables until golden brown will add colour and flavour to the sauce.
The handle of the frying pan will be very hot when you take it out of the oven, so always use a thick, dry tea towel or oven-cloth when moving the pan
FOR THE BRAISED CABBAGE
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium red onions, peeled, halved and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
½ red cabbage, peeled, halved, cored and finely sliced
50ml red wine vinegar
125ml red wine
125ml cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
Small bunch fresh thyme, leaves removed
2 wide pieces fresh orange peel
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large ovenproof saucepan or flameproof casserole dish and add the onion, garlic and seasoning. Cover and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes until very soft, stirring occasionally.
Add the remaining oil and cabbage. Cook over a high heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and simmer for a few seconds. Boil the red wine and cassis in a small pan until reduced by half. Pour over the cabbage and onion. Add the cinnamon, thyme and orange peel.
Bring the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Cover surface with a disc of baking parchment, put a lid on top and bake for 2 hours until the cabbage is very tender.
Place the saucepan or casserole dish on the hob and remove the lid and baking parchment. Add the redcurrant jelly and melt into the cabbage mixture, stirring constantly. Season to taste. FOR THE VENISON
INGREDIENTS
4 x 150g pieces venison loin (preferably fallow deer), trimmed See tip 1
3 tbsp spice mix (see recipe below)
1 tbsp olive oil
20g unsalted butter
Fine sea salt METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Season the venison with salt then coat in the spices and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in an ovenproof frying pan and cook the venison over a high heat until browned on each side – 1-2 minutes on each side should be enough. See tip 2
Add the butter and when melted, put the frying pan in the oven and continue cooking for a further 8 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and transfer the venison to a plate and rest for 5 minutes. See tip 3 Put on a board and slice thickly. FOR THE SPICE MIX
INGREDIENTS
50g juniper berries
50g black peppercorns
20g star anise
15 cinnamon sticks METHOD
Blend in food processor until very finely ground. Keep in an airtight container until needed. Spread the required amount onto a small, metal tray and heat in a hot oven for 2 minutes before using.FOR THE VENISON SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp groundnut or sunflower oil
500g venison trimmings
½ medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
100ml red wine
4 juniper berries
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, peeled
300ml fresh chicken stock (preferably organic)
200ml veal or beef stock (preferably organic)
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly METHOD
Put the oil in a large, shallow pan over a high heat and fry the venison pieces for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally until evenly browned.
Add the onion and carrots and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden. Pour over the red wine vinegar and bring to the boil. Tip the meat and vegetables into a colander over a bowl.
Return the pan to the heat and add the red wine. Bring to the boil, stirring to lift the richly flavoured sediment from the bottom of the pan (deglaze). Transfer to a medium saucepan and add the venison pieces and vegetables. Add juniper, rosemary, thyme and garlic.
Add chicken and veal, or beef stock, to just cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 ½ hours, occasionally skimming the surface with a large spoon to remove any froth.
Remove from the heat and tip through a colander or sieve lined with muslin and into a clean saucepan. (Discard the contents of the muslin). Bring the sauce to the boil over a high heat, add the redcurrant jelly and cook for 2-3 minutes until well reduced and syrupy. Season to taste. FOR THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE
INGREDIENTS
50g butter
300g deseeded and diced squash (preferably onion or butternut) or pumpkin
100ml fresh chicken stock (preferably organic)
1 tbsp double cream
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper METHOD
Melt the butter in medium pan and fry the squash very gently with the lid on for 5 minutes until just beginning to colour.
Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 8-10 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat and carefully blend with a stick blender until very smooth and velvety – pass through a sieve if it still seems slightly lumpy.
Transfer the puree to a small saucepan and stir in the double cream. Season to taste and heat through gently, stirring regularly.
TO SERVESpoon a little of the braised cabbage and some butternut squash puree onto four warmed plates. Top with venison, spoon over some venison sauce and serve.
Recipe tips
Use cheap cuts of venison from the leg or shoulder as trimmings – cut into chunky pieces.
Frying the venison and vegetables until golden brown will add colour and flavour to the sauce.
The handle of the frying pan will be very hot when you take it out of the oven, so always use a thick, dry tea towel or oven-cloth when moving the pan
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