Venison with Blueberry and Red Wine Gravy

Goes so well with the fruit in this dish, and is great served with some steamed purple sprouting broccoli. Mashed potato, parsnip or celeriac go well with this too.

Serves 2 (huge portions)

Ingredients
• 1 small handful of fresh rosemary
• 5 dried juniper berries
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1kg venison sirloin on the bone
• 4 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 glass of robust red wine
• 200g/7oz fresh blueberries (or blackberries)
• 2 large knobs of butter

Chop up the rosemary and juniper berries finely and add a really good pinch of salt and pepper. Pat the venison dry with some kitchen paper, and rub the oil mixture all over it. Add 2 good lugs of olive oil to a hot pan and sear the meat on all sides, and then transfer to a roasting tin and roast for about 30 mins in oven preheated to 180°C. Remove it from the oven when it’s cooked to your liking and allow it to rest on a plate for 10-15 minutes, covered with tinfoil.

Start cooking your broccoli now.

Add the shallots and the garlic to the oil you seared the venison in and fry gently for around 3 minutes until translucent and tender. Turn up the heat again, add the wine, and let it reduce by half. Add the blueberries and simmer slowly for 4 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat, add the butter, and jiggle and shake the pan around so the sauce goes slightly opaque and shiny. Season to taste.

Carve the two big steaks off the top of bone (same on the back but smaller) slice the venison into 2cm/¾ inch slices and serve with steamed purple sprouting broccoli or some other good greens. Add the meat’s resting juices to the sauce and spoon over the venison. Absolutely fantastic.

Comments

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