Slow braised venison with barbecue charred vegetables and sorrel verde
A four hour braised haunch of venison, enriched with deep flavours of porcini mushrooms, smoked paprika and juniper berries. Served alongside a simple and refreshing sorrel salsa verde and barbecue charred vegetables. A slow cook, but worth the wait.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp salt
- pinch pepper
- ½ tbsp smoked paprika
- 2kg/4lb 8oz haunch of venison on the bone
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, halved
- 3 carrots
- small bunch celery
- 6 juniper berries
- 2 dried red chillies
- garlic bulb, halved
- 20g/1oz dried porcini, soaked in 100ml/3½fl oz hot water
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 300³¾±ô/½±è³Ù red wine
- handful of garden herbs (rosemary, thyme, fennel pollen)
- 400ml/14fl oz beef or venison demi-glace sauce
For the sorrel verde
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú sorrel leaves
- 2 tbsp capers
- 2 spring onions
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
For the charred vegetables
Method
Fire up the barbecue and when the coals are glowing, toast the coriander seeds in a medium pan until fragrant. Mix with the salt, pepper and paprika in a small bowl. Score the venison and rub the coriander mixture all over, then drizzle with the olive oil. Place the venison on the barbecue and char all over.
Drizzle the red onion, carrots and celery with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on the barbecue to char.
Place a large heavy bottomed pan on the barbecue to warm, before adding the venison and vegetables. Add the juniper berries, dried chillies, garlic, porcinis and their liquid, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, herbs and the demi-glace. Cover the pan with kitchen foil or a lid and move to a gentle heat or the oven (120C/100C Fan/Gas ½) for 3½–4 hours, basting every hour or so to prevent it from drying out.
Meanwhile, make the sorrel verde by blending all the ingredients together. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
When the meat has 30 minutes left to cook, check the coals are hot on the barbecue. Add the carrots, fennel and garlic to a large bowl and toss them with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the vegetables onto the barbecue and char until soft. Once softened, place them into a roasting tray on a bed of herbs and keep over a low heat until ready to serve.
Serve the venison in a large roasting dish with the vegetables tucked in the side and the verde in a bowl. Garnish with plenty of herbs from the garden.