Saddle Of Venison Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a shallow pan, then fry the onion, garlic, prunes and bacon until the onion is translucent and the bacon is slightly coloured. Add the brioche and cook until combined and broken down, then add the sage, season and remove from heat.
• Put a sheet of baking parchment on a sheet of foil (both should be larger than your venison). Arrange four pieces of string across the kitchen counter and put the foil and parchment on top - this will help the venison to keep its shape. Lay another four pieces of string across the parchment. Lay the pancetta on top of the paper and string, slightly overlapping the slices so that they cover an area roughly the size of your opened-out venison.
• Lay the venison on top of the pancetta, skin-side down, then spoon the stuffing down the centre, patting it with your hands to make it into a sausage shape.
• Fold in the sides of the venison, along with the pancetta, so they touch or slightly overlap - use the foil and baking parchment to help you. Tie the strings around the venison, making sure that the foil and parchment enclose the meat but stay outside it. Fold in the ends and tie the other pieces of string tightly around the outside of the parcel to hold it in shape.
• Put the venison on a baking sheet or in a roasting tin. Roast for 40-50 mins or until a meat thermometer pushed into the joint reaches 60C, for medium rare meat. Rest for 10 mins, then remove and discard the foil and parchment. Brush the venison all over with butter and return to the oven for a final 10 mins. Leave to rest for 10-15 mins before removing the string and slicing.

Steps:

• Season the prepared saddle of venison on all sides with salt and pepper, the sear it on all sides in the clarified butter in the roast pan over high heat until browned.
• Remove the venison briefly to insert a rack into the roasting pan.
• Replace venison on rack and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top; roast in pre-heated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes for rare, about 18 minutes for medium.
• Remove venison from the roaster, wrap in alumnium foil and keep warm.
• Remove the rack from the roaster.
• Scrape any browned bits from the rack into the roasting pan.
• On stovetop, saute the apple rings in the roasting pan, browning them lightly in the drippings.
• Remove the apple rings, reserve warm.
• Increase heat to high, and allow the drippings to bubble up.
• Reduce heat to medium and deglaze the roasting pan with the red wine and stock.
• Scrape up any browned bits.
• Pour the stock through a sieve into a saucepan.
• Reduce over medium-high heat (being careful not to burn and stirring constantly) until syrupy.
• Remove from heat and mix in cold butter flakes with wire whisk until melted and absorbed.
• Your stock is now a sauce.
• Season tot taste with salt and butter.
• If you would like the consistency to be slightly thicker, you should reduce the stock more before adding the butter flakes.
• Keep this sauce warm on the stove over low heat until ready to serve.
• In a separate saute pan, heat clarified butter over medium-high heat.
• Add juniper berries, grapes, chestnuts and banana cuts; lightly brown these over medium-high heat.
• Remove from heat and drizzle with honey, stir well to glaze all evenly.
• Keep warm until serving.
• Unwrap reserved venison saddle from aluminum foil.
• Using a deboning knife, separate meat from the bones and transfer the resulting filet to a cutting board.
• Arrange the saddle bones (the rack) on a warmed serving platter.
• (Pour any drippings from the foil into your sauce for extra flavor.) Cut the filet on a bias; reassemble the filet on top of the rack on the warmed serving platter.
• Garnish by surrounding the roast with apple rings, banana cuts, grapes, chestnuts and juniper berries.
• Nap the roast with a little of the sauce; serve the remaining sauce on the side.
• Serve this most delicious of all roasts accompanied by (commercially available) Spaetzle, Gnocchi, Polenta (cut into medaillions and pan-fried til crisp and golden brown) or oven-roasted Red Bliss potatoes.

Steps:

• Trim the saddle to remove any nerves or bits of fat.
• Put the saddle in a reasonably deep stainless steel or enamel utensil just large enough to hold it compactly. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, rosemary, carrot, celery, ginger, peppercorns, juniper berries, red wine, one and one-half cups of port wine and cinnamon stick. The surface of the meat should be covered with the marinade. Refrigerate one or two days. The longer the meat stands, the more gamy the taste will be.
• Remove the saddle of venison, but reserve the marinade with vegetables. Strain the marinade but reserve separately the liquid and vegetables.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Sprinkle the drained saddle with the one tablespoon of ground pepper and salt to taste.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy roasting pan large enough to accommodate the saddle of venison. Brown the meat on both sides, about five minutes. Scatter the reserved vegetables around the meat and place the roasting pan in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Turn the meat to the opposite side and bake 30 minutes or until the meat is medium rare. If you want the meat more fully cooked, let it bake an additional 15 minutes or longer. To test for doneness, insert a thin metal skewer inside the hollow part (the spinal cord) of the spine. Remove the skewer and press it to your lips. If it is nicely warm, the meat is medium rare. If it is hot, the meat is well done. Transfer the meat to a warm platter.
• Place the roasting pan over medium heat and add the reserved marinating liquid. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan. Cook about 10 minutes and pour the sauce and reserved vegetables into a casserole or deep skillet. Let simmer slowly about one-half hour. Add the cream and remaining cup of port wine and bring to the boil. Let cook about 15 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
• Line a saucepan with a sieve, preferably of the sort known in French kitchens as a chinois. Pour the sauce and solids into the sieve, pressing to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible from the solids. Discard the solids.
• Bring the sauce to the boil and swirl in the butter.
• Add salt and pepper and stir in the jelly. Carve the meat and serve with a little of the sauce spooned over each serving. Serve with mashed potatoes, if desired.