Venison saddle pot roasted in Douglas fir, braised red cabbage, blackcurrant sauce

The Recipes / Game

1 saddle venison
Rock salt
Juniper berries
Zest of 1 orange
Bay leaf

Braised red cabbage
1 red cabbage, finely shredded 4 green apples, peeled & grated 200ml red wine vinegar
100g dark brown sugar
100g shallots, finely chopped 250ml red wine
Coarse salt and milled pepper

Sauce
2kg chopped venison bones 
200g shallots, chopped
100g thyme
2 bulbs garlic
50g juniper
50g black peppercorns
200ml white wine vinegar
500ml white wine
1 litre chicken stock
1 litre veal or venison stock
200g fresh blackcurrants
200g cold butter, diced

www.boveycastle.com

Serves 4-6

Trim and separate the racks from the loin. Blend the aromatics, season the meat, and colour in foaming hot butter. Place the portions over a bed of Douglas fir and pot roast at 180˚C for approximately 14 minutes, then remove and rest.

Braise all the red cabbage ingredients together with 2 litres of water until completely soft. Finish cooking on the stove until all the liquid has evaporated.

For the sauce, roast the bones in a heavy based pan until golden brown. Add the shallots, thyme, garlic and aromatics and continue to colour. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and completely reduce out. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the stocks and reduce to a good sauce consistency, then strain twice, add the blackcurrants and finish with the butter.

Carve the saddle and serve with the braised cabbage and fondant potatoes. We also serve with a nice piece of liver, pan fried, deglazed with sherry vinegar, basted until pink and allowed time to rest.