Pan-Roasted Venison with Mustard Brussels and Duck Fat Potatoes 

If you’re anything like me I’m sure you’ve been stuck inside the last few weeks, frequently looking out the window longingly at the hills.

This is a recipe which is a little bit flash so you could cook it for your significant other as an apology for having to spend the lockdown in the same house with you day in day out.

Perhaps you could cook it as a way to butter them up asking for permission to go out for a now permitted hunt. Or, if you forgot to ask for permission you could cook it as a way of asking for forgiveness and making good the spoils of your hunt.

I have written down a couple of different ways of making the potatoes, one uses a whole bunch of duck fat (which you can re-use of course) and the other doesn’t but they’re both delicious.

METHOD:

For the venison jus: Trim up the venison and remove the silver skin. Portion the venison into four even pieces making sure to keep any trim for the jus. Rough chop and brown off the vegetables in a pot with a little cooking oil along with the reserved venison trim.

Deglaze with the port, add the herbs and spices. Reduce the port by 2/3 then add the venison stock and vinegar and lightly simmer for at least 30 mins. Pass through a sieve discarding the solids then reduce to a glaze and season with sugar. Stir in the butter right before serving.

For the brussels: Remove the core of the brussels sprout and thinly slice them. In a pot sweat them off in the butter and then add the mustard and cream and reduce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the potatoes: Trim the peeled potato and cut into desired shape. In a pan lined with baking paper cook the potato in the duck fat at 125C until the potato is tender. Alternatively you could cut the potatoes into chunks and then boil them in some salted water with a clove of garlic until just done then roast them in a little bit of duck fat until crispy and then drain and toss with salt. This is also delicious and means you don’t have to use so much duck fat.

For the carrots: Peel the carrots and slice thinly. Simmer in the chicken stock until very tender and then drain, reserving the cooking liquor. Blend with the butter and enough reserved liquor to desired consistency, pass and season to taste. 

For the venison: If you have a sous vide cooker you can vacuum pack the venison along with the butter, thyme and salt and pepper and cook at 52C for 30 mins then brown off in a hot pan with a little oil.

If not cooking sous vide then in a hot pan sear the Venison on all sides and finish in the oven until rare (about 4mins) then finish in the pan with the butter along with the thyme, rest for at least 5 mins and then carve and season.

TO SERVE:

Garnish with whatever you like, I suggest some toasted walnuts and fresh herbs or watercress.

Makes 4 portions.

INGREDIENTS:

600-700g Venison back strap

1 Sprig Thyme

2 Tbs Buttersalt and Pepper

Venison Jus

400ml Venison stock

1 Sprig thyme

Carrot ends from puree

½ Celery stick (optional)

¼ Onion

2 Cloves garlic

2 Bay leaves

Pinch whole black peppercorns

1 Glass red wine

20ml Sherry vinegar

2 Tsp Sugar

Mustard creamed brussels sprouts

250g Brussels sprouts

2 Tbs Wholegrain mustard

¼ Cup cream

1 Tsp Buttersalt and pepper

Confit Potato

2 Agria potatoes

400g Duck fat

Carrot puree

200g (2-3) Carrots

400ml Chicken stock

50g Buttersalt and pepper

About MacLean

“I am a professional chef and amateur hunter. I have spent time hunting in most of the North Island ranges but do most of my hunting in the Tararua’s.

Working as a chef has sent me to several locations in the world and I have worked in New Zealand, Malaysia, Cook Islands and the Maldives.

I first started out hunting rabbits and possums with my old man when I was a kid before moving on to goats and deer as I grew older. As a chef I like to use the best produce available. Hunters when killing humanely and taking only what they need can end up cooking with not only the most ethically harvested meat but when dealt with properly, the best quality also.

I think it’s really important to know where your food comes from and how best not to waste it, and that’s why I think hunting and cooking marry so well together and that’s what I hope to promote and achieve through sharing the recipes and techniques we use to cook wild game professionally.”

MacLean Fraser,

Executive Chef,

Artisan Dining House,

Bolton Hotel,

Wellington

www.boltonhotel.co.nz/dining