Venison loin with glazed neck, beetroot, quince and pickled elderberry
Chef Matt Whitfield's venison loin recipe is paired with beetroot, quince and pickled elderberries and served with sticky, slow-cooked venison neck.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Serves: 8 persons
Ingredients
- 1 ½kgvenison loin
- 1knob of butter
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1dash of vegetable oil
- 500g ofvenison neck
- 1dash of vegetable oil
- 500g of chicken stock, (or enough to cover)
- 3sprigs of thyme
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 100ml of white wine vinegar
- 100ml of water
- 50g of sugar
- 200g of elderberries, washed and removed from their stalks
- 4beetroots
- 50g of butter
- Chardonnay vinegar, to taste
- salt
- 1quince
Instructions
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 overnightStep 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 usingStep 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 chillStep 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 processStep 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 bottleStep 6
Portion the remaining beetroots into wedges and set asideStep 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 steamStep 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 elementsStep 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 glossyStep 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