Ingredients
1 Venison Fillet
250g Mushrooms (Go wild!)
300g Long stalked Broccoli (Purple sprouting adds a pleasant earthiness)
Several handfuls of interesting mustard-y salad leaves. (Try to get red and dark green colours)
2 Glasses of Red Wine
3 Tbsp Pinenuts
60g Soaked Raisins
1Tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tsp Redcurrant Jelly
Butter
Seasoning.
Mix together the red wine, vinegar, redcurrant jelly with a little black pepper. Pour this heady mix over the fillet and let these marinade for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 170 Celsius.
While the fillet is marinading you can prepare your veg. Cut the mushrooms so that a cross-section is shown and wash your broccoli and leaves.
Begin to cook the broccoli using a lidded pan on a medium heat with a little water, to part-steam them. Meanwhile in a very hot pan, with a little butter, brown your fillet. Do this very fast, so as not to cook the centre very much.
Flash roast the fillet in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Add any juices that have escaped the fillet to the marinade, and use the pan to toast the pine nuts and raisins in a knob of butter. Once toasted, add the remainder of the marinade to the pan and reduce down, to form a delicious sauce.
Check your broccoli. It should still be putting up a bit of a fight, but only half heartedly. If it has reached this stage, remove the lid and let any remaining water boil off. Add a knob of butter and the mushrooms and cook through.
By now the venison fillet should be done, remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes. It should be lovely dark pink in the centre. DO NOT OVERCOOK, even more than beef, venison really loses its texture if it is overdone. It is best rare and if you have a fear of rare meat, just give it a try this time.
Meanwhile heat a mixing bowl in your hot oven a little, and finish off the veg. Once done, toss together your veg and leaves and plate up. Slice your mouthwatering-ly tender fillet on slants, lay your slices onto of your veg and pour over the reduced down sauce.
Serves four. Enjoy with copious amounts of a fruity red wine, ideally Italian.
