Sales of venison are soaring as the low-fat meat scores a hit with consumers
As spring approaches, so does the desire to perhaps eat healthier food. Scottish venison fits the bill nicely as it is recognised as being one of the most nutritious of all red meats and is remarkably low in fat and a good source of healthy protein.
Along with being an excellent source of iron, it is high in polyunsaturated fats, largely because deer are fed on grass and vegetation rather than high-energy cereals.
Scott Scorer of the Ballathie House Hotel and The Cook School Scotland have created a selection of warming but healthy venison recipes for you to try at home.
RED WINE AND VENISON STEW
SERVES 4
800g diced venison
2 carrots, peeled and diced
6 large elephant shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 sticks of celery, washed and diced
2 leeks – white only – washed and diced
Small handful of thyme
1 litre fresh veal/beef stock
400ml red wine
100g tomato puree
Dusting of plain flour
Oil
50g unsalted butter
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Heat a pan over a medium heat with a dash of oil and add the diced venison in batches to lightly colour the meat. Once coloured, remove the meat from the pan and place to one side.
In the same pan, add the butter and once the butter begins to foam lower the heat and slowly start to sweat the shallot, carrot, leek and celery for 4-5 minutes. Once softened, add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour, add the tomato puree, stir and cook for one minute.
Add the red wine and turn the heat up to a simmer, stirring and scraping at the bottom of the pan to release the residue. Reduce the wine by half. Pour in the stock and pop the venison into the pan along with the bay leaf and thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer and place the lid on the pot and braise in the oven for 1-2 hours or until the meat is tender.
The stew could also be cooked in a slow cooker on a medium setting for 6-8 hours. If the sauce is slightly runny, place the pan back on the heat and simmer the sauce to reduce until thickened to the desired consistency. Serve with a generous dollop of creamed potatoes and roasted root vegetables.
ROAST LOIN OF VENISON, SMOKED VENISON CROQUETTES, STORNOWAY BLACK PUDDING AND POACHED PEAR
SERVES 4
1 x 600g striploin of venison cut into 4 x150g portion
10g butter
5ml oil
Sprig of thyme
Salt and pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan until hot. Add the venison and sear for a couple of minutes. Turn over to sear the other side, then sear the ends. Place the seared venison into a roasting tin and place in the pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes for rare meat, a bit longer for medium-rare or medium. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for five minutes. This will ensure moist meat.
CELERIAC PUREE
1 celeriac
1 onion
100ml double cream
860ml chicken stock
50g butter
Thyme
Salt and pepper
Finely dice the onion, sweat off with the garlic and thyme, add diced celeriac, add chicken stock and boil until the celeriac is soft to the touch. Place the celeriac in a food processor, blend until smooth adding a touch of stock if required. Add the cream.
POTATO CROQUETTES
400g potato
150g smoked venison
160g breadcrumbs
150g plain flour
120ml milk
2 eggs
10g butter
2g nutmeg
Peel and boil the potatoes, drain water off. Let the potatoes sit for a couple of minutes to allow the excess water to evaporate. Mash the potatoes, adding salt, nutmeg and butter, and slowly add the milk. Keep mashing until the mixture is smooth and creamy (not too wet, you want fairly stiff mashed potato). Add one egg yolk and the smoked venison. Form your croquettes and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Remove the croquettes from the fridge and panne in your flour and breadcrumb mix. They are now ready to deep fry when assembling the dish.
BEETROOT AND CHANTENAY CARROTS
1kg raw beetroot
500g chantenay carrots
Oven roast the beetroot on a salted tray covered in foil for approximately 2 hours (170°), peel and set aside ready to assemble. Boil the carrots in salted water until tender. Drain and allow to cool.
SOUR CHERRY GEL
1kg frozen sour cherries
1 litre of water
50g caster sugar
12g agar agar powder
Juice of a lemon
Add cherries, water, sugar and lemon juice to a pan and bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for a further 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve, place the liquid into a pan, add the agar agar powder and heat through until the powder has dissolved. Place into a container and allow to set in the fridge.
Once set, place the jelly into a food processor, blitz until smooth. Place into a squeezy bottle ready for finishing and serving.
STORNOWAY BLACK PUDDING BON BONS
100g Stornoway black pudding
Half a pear
1tsp Lea and Perrins
50g flat leaf parsley
Grate the black pudding, grate the pear, add a tsp of Lea and Perrins, mix and make small balls. Refrigerate. Blitz the parsley and breadcrumbs then panne the bon bons.
POACHED PEAR
1 pear
750ml water
200g sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
Cinnamon stick
4 cloves
Combine all of the ingredients into a saucepan, set over a medium heat. Peel the pear, remove the core with a melon baller and place pear into the liquid until tender.
To finish and serve warm the puree and vegetables and season with salt. Deep fry the croquettes and bon bons. Place the puree either side of the plate and assemble the other ingredients in the centre of the puree. Gently warm the poached pear, cut into quarters. Slice the venison into medallions and place on top of the other ingredients. Finish with two edible flowers and sour cherry jus.
LOIN OF VENISON, BUTTERNUT SQUASH FONDANT, BLACKBERRIES, VENISON CHORIZO CASSEROLE
SERVES 4
600g loin of venison
Salt and pepper
Knob of butter
Preheat the oven to 180C. Cut the venison into 150g portions. Pan sear and place in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a knob of butter, baste for 30 seconds then leave to rest.
FOR THE CASSEROLE
1tbsp olive oil
25g butter
2 onions, diced
4 fresh garlic cloves
500g mushrooms
2.5kg haunch or shoulder of venison, diced
350g venison chorizo
Half a bottle red wine
400ml venison stock
3tbsp redcurrant jelly
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
50g plain flour
5 crushed juniper berries
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. On the hob, heat the olive oil and butter in a large lidded casserole dish. Add the onions and cook until softened, but not browned. Add the garlic, venison chorizo and mushrooms and cook for a further minute. Toss the venison in flour then in a frying pan, brown the venison adding a handful at a time and add to the casserole.
When all the meat is browned, add the red wine, venison stock, redcurrant jelly, salt and pepper and juniper berries. Bring to the boil and stir well. Put the lid on the casserole and place in the middle of the oven – cook for 90 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Place to one side until assembly
POMMES ANNA POTATOES
1kg waxy potato, peeled and very thinly sliced
225g butter melted
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the potato slices in a colander, rinse under cold water to get rid of any starch and pat dry with a cloth. Grease a sheet of greaseproof paper. Arrange the potato slices on the greaseproof paper in overlapping circles brushing the butter over each layer, seasoning as you go. Cover with another sheet of greaseproof paper, bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH FONDANT
25g butter
200ml chicken stock
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into even sized cubes of approx 1cm
Preheat the oven to 180C. Place butternut squash in a non-stick pan, lightly colour all sides, season. Add the stock and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until tender.
To serve you’ll need one punnet of blackberries and one head of curly kale. To assemble, divide the casserole into four ramekins (this will leave you plenty left over which you can enjoy the next day or freeze), top with the pommes anna potato. Place in the oven for a further 5 minutes before serving. Slice venison loin into three collops, place on the plate, in between each collop add the butternut squash fondant, kale and blackberries. Remove the casserole from the oven and place on the opposite side of the plate.