Paul's [recipe] Corner

From Ep 2 Food Trail Tasmania

Saddle of Peppered Venison served on a Boysenberry and Porcini sauce with Swede and carrot mash and three cabbages

2 Venison loins approx 250 – 300g each
Crushed black pepper
Sichuan pepper
Caraway seeds
1 large Swede
3 carrots
Milk
butter
Red, green and Savoy cabbage
½ cup apple juice
1 jar Boysenberry sauce
Porcini mushrooms
Beef stock
Garlic chives
Lemon

Trim venison loin of sinue and fat. Mix black pepper, Sichuan pepper and caraway seeds together in equal amounts then roll loin in mix to coat the meat well. Brown and seal all sides in a hot pan with a little olive oil, then finish in a moderate (160 fan forced – 180 normal) oven for 7 – 10 mins or so depending how you like your meat. 7 minutes for rare 10 mins for medium. Keep checking your meat as it cooks and remember that when you take it out of the oven and rest it the meat will continue to cook from the residual heat so take it out a little before it reaches the desired texture.

For the mash peel the Swede and carrot and chop into equal size pieces. Put into salted boiling water and cook until tender. Drain. Mash Swede and carrot together in the pan adding a little milk and some butter. Season with salt and pepper. I like this mash a little chunky so I didn’t bother with to mash it thoroughly.

For the cabbage: slice equal amounts of each cabbage and cook in salted boiling water with some apple juice added just to add a little bit of sweetness to the cabbage.

For the sauce: soak dried porcini mushrooms in boiling water once soft remove mushrooms squeezing out excess liquid and slice finely. Reserve soaking liquid. In a pan add the boysenberry sauce, porcini mushrooms, mushroom stock, beef stock, crushed black pepper, garlic chives finely sliced and cook for 10 – 15 minutes. I had never made this sauce before so it was a real seat of the pants adventure. I just added a bit of stock tasted it and then added a little more then adjusted with pepper and a little more mushroom stock etc So I cannot give accurate measurements. Finish sauce with a squeeze of lemon juice and then some butter to add a lovely silky sheen.

To serve pour some sauce on a plate and sit sliced venison on top then drizzle a little more sauce over the top. Serve with the mash and three cabbage.