Let me share with you a stunning venison dish that perfectly showcases a selection of seasonal ingredients – think hearty vegetables and juicy blackberries, which remain in season until the first frosts of winter.
The dish is simple to prepare, yet brimming with the distinctive flavours of the nutty butternut squash and the intense gamey venison, all offset by the tangy goats’ curd and sweet blackberries. It has to be said, this plate brings together some of my favourite ingredients at this time of the year.
Back in the Artisan kitchen, we’re busy preparing for the festive season. We’ve crafted set lunch and à la carte menus for December, featuring our top pick of wintry ingredients and those classic Christmas flavours – all with an Artisan twist, of course.
Visit the Artisan website for more details www.artisannewcastle.com
Warm Salad of Wild Venison, Vegetables and Goats’ Curd
Ingredients
400g venison loin (trimmed)
8 baby beetroots
1 butternut squash
5 baby parsnips, baby turnips, baby carrots
100g fresh goats’ curd
Mixture of baby salad leaves
100g butter for roasting
Dressing
100ml olive oil
20ml sherry vinegar
Sea salt and pepper
8 blackberries
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Clean and scrub the selection of baby vegetables. Peel and dice the butternut squash, drizzle with salt and pepper and a dash of olive oil, and wrap in tin foil. Roast for 30 mins until soft, then blend until smooth and keep warm. Blanch the baby vegetables in boiling salted water until tender. Refresh in ice water. For the parsnip crisps, thinly slice the parsnip on a mandoline. Deep fry until crisp and golden at 160C, then season with salt. Cook the venison loin by sealing in a hot pan. Add 20g butter and a sprig of thyme, then baste cook to medium rare. Allow the meat to rest while you roast the vegetables. Place 20g of butter in a non-stick pan until it reaches nutty brown, then add the vegetables and cook until nice and golden in colour. Make the dressing by whisking the oil into the vinegar and use a tablespoon to dress all the ingredients. Carve the venison and assemble the dish as pictured, with a smooth dollop of goats’ curd on the plate.
