Venison makes a wonderful weekend supper – whether you are cooking a casserole with haunch or shoulder or pan searing a piece of loin or fillet. Rich without overpowering it marries perfectly with winter and autumnal flavours.
Attempting to clear the cupboards after Christmas I have paired pan seared venison fillet with chestnut purée and spiced cranberry sauce, accompanied by grilled brussels sprouts and cherries, sautéed new potatoes and oven-dried cherry tomatoes.
This simple chestnut purée is very versatile and can be used with a variety of game and rich meats. The cranberry sauce will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge and is great on sandwiches – just don’t give too much to the kids (it contains a hefty amount of port)!
I give the recipes for my chestnut purée and cranberry sauce below which can be paired with pan seared venison (as above) or with any other game of your choosing.
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Chestnut Purée & Cranberry Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the Purée: 250g Vac-Packed Chestnuts, 1/2 Pint Single Cream, 1/2 Pint Milk, 25g Unsalted Butter, Sea Salt
For the Cranberry Sauce: 175g Fresh Cranberries, 60g Caster Sugar, 1 Cinnamon Stick, Zest 1 Large Orange, 150ml Port
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Method:
1) To make the chestnut purée – boil the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat until you achieve a Beurre Noisette (brown butter). Add the chestnuts and cover with the cream and milk.
2) Turn the heat down low and simmer the chestnuts for 10-15 minutes until tender. Transfer the mixture to food processor and blend until smooth.
3) Pass the purée through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Season with fresh sea salt to taste.
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1) To make the cranberry sauce – simmer the cranberries with the sugar and a splash of cold water in a saucepan over a medium heat for 15 minutes until the cranberries have mostly broken down.
2) In a separate saucepan, reduce the port over a high heat with the cinnamon stick and orange zest until reduced by 2/3.
3) Add the port to the cranberry mixture.
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The chestnut purée can be kept warm until ready to use or can be reheated.
Enjoy!
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