500g fallow venison loin cleaned and with sinew removed
For the mushroom mix:
250g button mushrooms
4 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
100ml Madeira
4 tbsp double cream
For the pancakes:
5oz / 150g plain flour
2 eggs
140ml milk
To wrap the venison:
6-8 leaves of large spinach
400g puff pastry
Egg glaze for pastry
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan.
Season the loin and add to the pan, turning it every 1-2 minutes to colour it on all sides, until it is cooked to rare. Remove from the pan and refrigerate.
Melt the butter in the pan, chop the mushrooms finely and sauté until golden brown. Remove from the pan.
Add the shallots and chopped garlic to the pan. Cook until soft, add the mushrooms again and cook quickly until no liquid is left. Add the Madeira and boil until reduced by half.
Add cream, cook until the mixture is thick and beginning to darken. Season with salt and pepper and leave to one side.
Now make the pancakes. Whisk together the flour, whole eggs and milk to make a smooth batter. Heat a frying pan and add a drop of oil.
Pour in a small amount of batter to cover the base with a very thin layer cook until set. Turn over and cook the other side. Repeat the process again until mixture is finished keeping cooked pancakes to one side.
Quickly blanch the spinach leaves in boiling water, then cool in iced water. Dry the leaves well.
Lay a sheet of cling film on a board and put three pancakes overlapping on it. Lay the spinach on top in a single layer. Spread the mushroom mix over the spinach and lay the venison on top. Roll the pancakes, spinach and mushroom mix around the venison. Wrap tightly in the clingfilm and leave to cool in the fridge preferably over night.
Roll out the puff pastry thinly (if it is ready rolled it will need to be rolled thinner still). Remove the venison from the clingfilm and lay on the pastry.
Brush the edges with the egg glaze and roll up, sealing the edges well. Brush the rest of the egg yolk glaze over the outside.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown place a thin metal skewer in the centre of the venison it should be slightly warm (which means the internal temp is about 49-52C)
Remove from the oven, rest for at least 10 minutes in a warm place, then slice and serve.
To accompany:
100g pancetta
500g brussels sprouts
300g peeled chestnuts
100ml Madeira
100ml chicken stock
Remove outside leaves from the brussels sprouts and score with a cross on the base.
Colour the chestnuts in a hot pan with a little butter add 100ml Madeira and reduce then add 100ml chicken stock and reduce further until the chestnuts have a nice sticky glaze. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Blanch the sprouts in boiling salted water for approximately 2-3 minutes. Drain and refresh in iced water (this can be done in advance).
In a separate pan colour the pancetta add the drained sprouts, remove from the heat but keep in the pan then add the glazed chestnuts. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Venison bresaola
1kg Venison haunch fully trimmed and denuded
250g Maldon sea salt
250g sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
50ml brandy
6 x crushed juniper berries
25g chopped fresh thyme
Mix all ingredients together. Rub into the venison cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Remove the venison from the fridge turn it, cover and refrigerate for a further 12 hours.
Wash the venison in clean water pat dry and wrap in muslin cloth. Hang in the fridge for 1 week. Slice thinly as required.
