Venison loin with glazed neck, beetroot, quince and pickled elderberry

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Begin by braising the venison neck the day before serving. Preheat an oven to 90°C/gas mark 1/4. Season the meat well with salt and pepper and place a frying pan over a high heat with a dash of oil. Once smoking hot, add the neck and brown all over. Transfer to a braising dish with the thyme and cover with chicken stock. Cover tightly with foil or a lid and place in the oven, leaving it to cook slowly overnight

2. Step 2

   The elderberries also need pickling overnight. Place the water, vinegar and sugar into a pan and bring to the boil. Put the elderberries into a heatproof container and pour the hot liquid over. Let the pickle cool before sealing, then leave for 24 hours before using

3. Step 3

   The next day, the neck should be very soft. Strain the braising liquor into a clean pan and place over a medium heat to reduce the liquor into a thicker jus. Pick the neck meat into smaller pieces. Place a sheet of cling film on a work surface and arrange the meat into a log shape on top. Wrap up tightly to create a sausage of the meat, then place in the fridge to chill

4. Step 4

   Peel the beetroots and place them in a pan with a glug of vinegar and a good pinch of salt. Cover with water then place over a medium heat and cook until soft, around 45–60 minutes depending on the size of your beetroots. Top up with more water if needed during the cooking process

5. Step 5

   Once soft, place two of the beetroots in a blender and blitz until smooth, adding a little chicken stock if needed to loosen the pureé. Blend in the butter to achieve a nice glossy texture, then taste and season with salt and vinegar and transfer to a squeezy bottle

6. Step 6

   Portion the remaining beetroots into wedges and set aside

7. Step 7

   Peel the quince and place in a vacuum bag with a spoonful of the beetroot puree. Seal and steam for 30 minutes or until soft. If you don't have a vacuum bag, you could smother the peeled quince in the puree then wrap it tightly in cling film, then steam

8. Step 8

   Now all the elements are ready, cook the venison. Ensure the loin is at room temperature and season with salt and pepper. Place a frying pan over a high heat with a dash of oil and, once smoking hot, add the venison and brown all over for 3–4 minutes. Add a knob of butter and continue to cook for another couple of minutes whilst continually basting with the butter until caramelised. Leave to rest in a warm place for 20 minutes whilst you reheat the other elements

9. Step 9

   The neck should have set into a sausage by now – unwrap it and cut into thick discs. Gently heat these slices through in the reduced jus until sticky and glossy

10. Step 10

    To serve, carve the venison loin and plate 3 slices onto each plate. Place a wedge of beetroot, quince and a piece of the glazed neck beside it, then add dots of the beetroot puree. Top the neck with pickled elderberries and finish with the remaining sauce