Fillet of venison with red wine and wild mushrooms

 

Fillet of venison with red wine and wild mushrooms

The rich flavour of venison makes it a beautiful meat for gourmet menus.

Ingredients (13)

600ml red wine (such as shiraz)

1/3 cup (80ml) Madeira or dry sherry

1/3 cup (80ml) balsamic vinegar

6 eschalots, sliced

1 fresh bay leaf*

1 thyme sprig

2 cups (500ml) Massel beef stock

10g dried chanterelle or porcini mushrooms***

1kg venison fillet****

1 tbsp olive oil

30g unsalted butter

1 tbsp plain flour

Redcurrant jelly, to serve

Method

Step 1

To make the sauce, combine the 600ml red wine (such as shiraz), 1/3 cup (80ml) Madeira or dry sherry, 1/3 cup (80ml) balsamic vinegar, 6 eschalots, sliced, 1 fresh bay leaf* and 1 thyme sprig in a bowl and set aside for 2-3 hours. Place in a saucepan with jus or 2 cups (500ml) Massel beef stock and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by three-quarters (this will take about 20 minutes). Set aside.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Step 3

Place the 10g dried chanterelle or porcini mushrooms*** in a small bowl, pour over a little boiling water and set aside to soak for 10 minutes.

Step 4

If the 1kg venison fillet**** is long, cut it in half. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 5

Heat the 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frypan over high heat and sear the venison on all sides. Transfer to a baking tray and roast for 10-12 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Step 6

Drain mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Heat the 30g unsalted butter in a frypan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp plain flour to the pan and cook, stirring, for a further minute. Add red-wine sauce and reserved mushroom liquid, and simmer for 5-6 minutes until well-reduced. Season to taste.

Step 7

Slice the venison and serve with sauce and Redcurrant jelly, to serve, accompanied by the salad and tartiflette (recipes follow).