Australian Members - Page 1556

ROAST VENISON WITH A CLASSIC JUS
Serves 4

600g venison fillet
8 juniper berries
2 fresh bay leaves
10 peppercorns
1 small chilli
20 g (¾ oz) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt
Sauce
1 bottle good red wine
50 ml (2 fl oz) balsamic vinegar
3 shallots, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed with a knife
8 juniper berries
6 cloves
1 fresh bay leaf
2 tablespoons brown sugar
30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter
sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper



For the venison, crush the juniper berries, bay leaves, peppercorns and chilli in a mortar. Rub this mixture into the meat and let it stand (outside the refrigerator) for about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 180°C. In the meantime, put the sauce ingredients except the butter, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer gently until reduced to about 200 ml (7 fl oz). Strain the liquid through a sieve and return it to the pan. Add the butter and heat until it melts into the sauce. Taste for salt and pepper. Keep warm while you cook the venison.

Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan, and as soon as the butter begins to foam, put the venison into the pan and brown it quickly on all sides, sealing in the juices. Transfer the meat to an oven tray and roast for about 10 minutes (if your venison weighs more or less than 600 g, calculate the cooking time based on 15 minutes per kilogram for rare, and 20 minutes per kilogram for medium rare.

It is important to rest the meat for as long as you cooked it in the oven, loosely wrapped in foil to keep it warm. Slice the meat, put it on a warmed serving plate and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Pour over some sauce, putting the rest in a bowl to serve on the side