Soft and tender, perfectly cooked New Zealand Venison loin with the tart crème Fraiche, crisp and clean celeriac and rich, creamy style of gratin makes a great winter warmer!
Venison loin (if well hung and good quality) will be very tender and should not require much cooking, a quick sear to seal in the juices and give that delicious roast meat aroma, followed by a short time in the oven to warm through.
Don’t be deterred by the exotic origin. British venison is available throughout the year and can be a safer bet than ‘hard to find’ good quality beef. The apple and celeriac gratin is a great side dish on its own or with a number of other roast meats or eaten with hardy fish like tuna or sea bass.
Serves 4
 
 
I Celeriac gratin
1/2 -
celeriac gratin  
4 -
Large Desiree potatoes (alternatively a firm boiling potatoes)  
2 -
Granny Smith apples  
250 g -
Crème fraiche  
1 -
clove Garlic  
To taste -
Sea salt and pepper  
50 g -
Parmesan cheese  
     
   
 
 
II Main recipe
     
640 g -
Venison loin (fully nuded)  
2 -
Carrots  
2 -
sticks Celery  
1 or 4 -
Onions or shallots  
Bunch -
Hard herbs (eg. Thyme)  
Splash -
Olive oil  
50 g -
Butter  
To taste -
 Sea salt and pepper  
1 -
 large glass Red wine  
Bunch -
 Watercress  
     

I. Celeriac gratin
 

1. Take your oven dish and using the whole clove in hand, rub the base and sides of the dish liberally.
 
  2. Peel and slice the celeriac, potatoes and apples into a large bowl. Spread the mixture out as much as possible, using the sides of the bowl, this helps give you a better idea of how much seasoning to add.
 

 

 3. Spoon in crème fraiche and spread out likewise. Mix well; making sure the cream is well dispersed. (See tips).
   
  4. Put this mixture into the garlic rubbed oven dish. Cover dish with tin foil and bake for approximately 45 mins or until soft.
   
  5. Remove foil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese then return to the oven to brown, this should take about five to ten minutes.
   
6. The gratin will stay hot for at least 15 minutes, which will give you plenty of time to serve the venison.
 
 
 
 
 
II Venison
 
  1. Take your venison and tie with a little string. This is not extremely important, however it does help to keep the loin round, which looks nice.
   
  2. Chop vegetable listed or any other vegetables you have to hand or left over from the gratin. Use them to make a base to place the meat on in the oven. The tighter the oven dish fits the venison the better.
   
  3. In a very hot pan, add oil and sear the seasoned venison until it is golden brown on each side. At this point add a few knobs of butter and sizzle for a few moments. Remove the meat and place on top of the vegetables.
   
  4. Roast in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. At this point the venison will have had time to warm through. Remove from the oven and cover with tin foil. Leave to stand for another 8 minutes.
   
  5. Now remove the venison from the vegetables and wrap completely in the foil. Place the vegetables and the roasting juices on a high flame and add a large glass of red wine. Let this bubble for a few minutes and let the sweetness of the vegetables transform the wine (tasting will tell). To make enough sauce for the whole piece, just add a touch of water and simmer for a few more minutes. Run the juices through a strainer and leave to stand for a few minutes to allow the unwanted fat to rise to the top, skim with a tablespoon at this point.
   
  6. Now you are just about ready to serve. While the oven is still hot return venison for a few minutes to freshen the heat.
   
   
   

  1. I suggest that you serve the gratin in the oven dish, direct to the table.
   
  2. With the venison, all that is required is to remove the strings and carve, thick or thin is your preference. I would cut between 5mm and 10mm. add some watercress for colour; it looks good and goes well with the meat and the gratin.
 

 

 3. Don’t forget to serve the sauce.
   
  Recipes by David Selex
  Head Chef, The Sugar Club