Venison with Chocolate Sauce
Serves 4
400g celery, cut into 1cm dice
300g smoked bacon, cut into 1cm dice
50g stick butter
1/2 small savoy cabbage, cut into thin julienne strips
200ml or 3/4 cup double cream
4 x 150g fillet venison steaks, trimmed
1 tbs olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepperSAUCE:
2 litres or 9 cups veal stock
500g shallots, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled and chopped
25g stick butter
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tbs raspberry vinegar
1 x 75ml bottle red wine
40g dark, bitter chocolate, broken into small pieces
To make sauce, have ready the veal stock. Using a large saucepan, saute the shallots and garlic in the 25g stick of butter, along with the thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns, until nicely caramelised and softened.
Deglaze with the raspberry vinegar, then pour in the wine and boil until it has reduced to about 100ml or 1/2 cup and is syrupy in consistency.
Add the veal stock and boil until reduced by three-quarters to about 600ml or 2 1/2 cups.
Pour the sauce through a fine sieve set over the bowl, rubbing gently with the back of a ladle. Return the sauce to the pan. Stir in the chocolate until it melts, reheating very gently if necessary, but taking care not to let the sauce boil. Check the seasoning.
To prepare the vegetables, in another saucepan gently saute the carrots, celery and bacon in the 50g stick of butter until golden brown. Place half of this mixture in a separate pan and continue cooking for a further 3-4 minutes.
Drain the butter from the cabbage mixture and add the cream. Boil briskly to reduce by half until lightly thickened. Check the seasoning and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 220C. Season the venison steaks. Heat the oil in an oven proof saute pan and brown the steaks until well sealed over - about 3 minutes. Cover with butter paper or a sheet of buttered grease proof paper and roast in the oven for 4-5 minutes. Remove and set aside to rest.
At this stage, the venison should be slightly pink inside.
Reheat the cabbage mixture and the reserved uncreamed vegetables separate.
Gently reheat the sauce, being careful not to let it boil or it will separate.
Spoon the cabbage mixture onto warmed plates.
Slice the venison steaks and arrange around the meat.
Nappe the meat and vegetables with sauce and serve.
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