Does anyone have any tips on cooking Venison or something to accompany it?
I've tried it a few ways but never quite cooked it as I wanted it using the instructions on the packaging.
cheers
Cut and paste from the times
Roast haunch of venison with quinces
Deep crimson meat with sweet fruit and rich gravy. You will have to find a decent butcher for the venison and a good greengrocer’s for the quinces. It’s worth making an effort sometimes.
Serves 6-8
125g caster sugar
3 whole cloves
1 star anise
3 quinces
1 lemon
1.5kg boned and rolled haunch of venison joint (make sure the butcher removes any internal sinew)
Salt and pepper
Sunflower or light olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and cut into eighths
6 thyme sprigs
5 bay leaves
12-15 thin slices of pancetta
2 sprigs of rosemary
250ml red wine
450ml beef stock
3 tbsp redcurrant or quince jelly
Put 1 litre of water in a large saucepan with the sugar, cloves and star anise and bring to a simmer. Peel and halve the quinces, rubbing the exposed sides with lemon to stop them turning brown. Add to the simmering syrup, cover with a round of greaseproof paper and cook gently for about 30 minutes, or until easily pierced to the centre. Remove and drain, and set aside the spices.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7. Weigh the venison and make a note of the weight. Season the joint all over, being generous with both salt and pepper. Rub the surface with oil, then heat a roasting tin on the hob. Add the venison and brown on all sides over a high heat — about 5 minutes in total. Remove the tin from the heat.
Add a splash of oil to the tin and add the onions. Toss until they are well coated, then move to the middle of the tin so they form a sort of vegetable trivet and place the meat on top. Arrange the thyme sprigs along the top of the meat, along with 3 of the bay leaves, then drape the whole thing with pancetta. Put the poached quinces around the joint. Add the cloves, star anise, rosemary and remaining bay leaves. Splash the joint and quinces with a bit more oil and season the quinces well.
Put in the heated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 160C/Gas Mark 3 and give it 11-12 minutes per 500g for rare to medium-rare meat. The exact timing will depend on the thickness of the joint. If you want it medium, you’re looking at about 14 minutes per 500g.
When the time is up, remove the venison from the tin, wrap it in foil and leave it in a warm place to rest for at least 20 minutes, preferably 30.
If the quinces and onions aren’t done, give them 15 minutes more, until they are soft and sweet. They may not need the extra time. When they are done, remove from the tin and keep warm.
Put the tin on the hob over a medium heat and pour in the wine, scraping up any meaty bits from the bottom and sides. Let the wine bubble away for about 5 minutes until it is syrupy, then pour in the stock and bubble for about 5 minutes more, until it has thickened. Add the redcurrant or quince jelly and stir until dissolved. Taste, season, then strain into a jug.
Serve slices of the venison with a quince half and some of the onions, pouring over a little of the gravy. Let people help themselves to the remaining sauce. Celeriac purée and some red cabbage or buttered cavolo nero-ish greens would be good on the side.
A note: if you don’t have any quince or redcurrant jelly, bubble down the syrup you poached the quinces in, until it turns thick and syrupy, and use some of that to sweeten your gravy instead.
Celeriac puree
A simple white, rooty accompaniment for roast game and beef.
500g celeriac, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes (put them in a bowl of water with the juice of a lemon to stop them browning)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
500ml milk
A few knobs of butter
Salt and pepper
Drain the celeriac and put in a saucepan with the garlic and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until the celeriac is soft enough to squash. Drain over a bowl, keeping the cooking milk, then tip the celeriac and garlic into a blender or food processor. Add a knob or two of butter, season well and whizz to a purée, scraping down the sides and adding a splash of the cooking liquid if necessary, until you have a totally smooth white purée. Check the seasoning, then tip into a bowl and add another knob of butter.
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