Grilled Cutlet and Loin of Venison with Herb and Onion Boxty on a Bed of Braised Red Cabbage with Celeriac Puree

INGREDIENTS

(Serves one)

175g cutlet of wildfallow venison
57g loin of wild fallow venison

For the marinade 15g carrot
15g onion
15g celery
15g garlic
2 juniper berries
1 bay leaf
Red wine

For the braised red cabbage (makes about eight portions)

1 head of red cabbage
250g sliced onion
4 cloves of chopped garlic
75ml red wine vinegar
60g brown sugar
60g clarified butter
2 diced apples
2 sprigs of chopped tarragon
Salt and pepper

For the celeriac purée (makes about eight portions)

500g peeled celeriac
500g chopped Desirée potato
150ml cream
120g butter
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper

For the boxty

85g grated potato
25g sliced onion
25g chopped parsley and sage
30g clarified butter
Knob of butter
Salt and pepper

For the venison jus (makes about 20 portions)

Butter
225g venison trimmings
114g sliced shallots
25g garlic
1 bay leaf
Sprig thyme
25g tomato paste
Any tomato trimmings
Any mushroom trimmings
50ml red wine
50ml port
50ml Madeira
6 peppercorns
1/2 litre venison stock
Blackberry coulis
Knob of butter
Seasoning
4 blackberries to garnish

METHOD

The venison should be hung for 2-3 weeks before marinating it for five days.

To make the braised red cabbage thinly slice the cabbage and onion and sweat the onion with the garlic. Add the red wine vinegar and reduce then add the cabbage brown sugar diced apple and butter. Wait until the cabbage begins to wilt and remove from stove. Cover the pan with some tin foil and cook in the oven till the cabbage is soft. Season to taste and add some chopped tarragon before service.

To make the celeriac purée dice the celeriac and potato to the same size and cook in some boiling salted water until tender. Drain well and pass first through a ricer and then a sieve. Put the mixture back into a pan with a little cream and knobs of butter. Add grated fresh nutmeg and season to taste. Stir the purée in the pan until the butter melts.

To prepare the herb and onion boxty first grate the potato on a mandolin. Thinly slice the onions and caramelise them in half the butter. Squeeze all the water out of the potato and mix it with the remaining clarified butter and the chopped herbs. Season the potato mix with salt and pepper and add the caramelised onion. Cook the boxty in a tian mould with a knob of butter until golden brown on both sides. Finish in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

To make the jus heat a copper pan until smoking hot. Add a small amount of butter and seal the venison trimmings well. Add the shallots garlic bay leaf and thyme wait until they let off their aroma then add the tomato paste and cook out. Add any trimmings and all the alcohol reduce by half and add the peppercorns. Then add the stock a little at a time allowing it to reduce before adding any more. Reduce it to the consistency you require and pass through a conical sieve lined with muslin. Add a little blackberry coulis a knob of butter and season to taste.

Season the venison well and seal on a very hot grill for about one minute on both sides. Cook in the oven for about five minutes.

To serve place a tian ring in the centre of the plate and press the cabbage into it. Put the boxty potato on top. Slice the loin of venison and fan it around the top of the cutlet and garnish with a little deep-fried celeriac. Quenelle the celeriac purée and place around the plate. Put the jus and the whole berries between each quenelle and garnish the quenelle with fresh parsley.