dinner party specials

Venison Loin with Braised Belly Pork with a Juniper and Thyme Reduction

Ingredients

• 4 x venison loin steaks
• 1 kg belly pork joint on the bone
• 200 gms bacon bits
• 200 gms duck or goose fat
• 2 x leeks        8 shallots        2 x carrots
• 6 x cloves garlic    2 x sticks celery    200 gms wild mushrooms
• 1 x large stick salsify    
• 4 x large maris piper potatoes
• 1 x lg butternut squash    
• 3 x sprigs thyme
• 8 x juniper berries; crushed
• 1 x bay leaf
• 6 x peppercorns
• 2 x star anise
• 600 ml good red wine
• Olive Oil for frying
• 2 good knobs butter
• 200 ml milk

Method

1.    Braise the belly pork in a flat tray in the oven at 160 degrees over with water and add; leeks, carrots, celery, onions, 1 x sprig thyme, 2 x cloves garlic, 1 x bay leaf, 6 x peppercorns, 2 x star anise.  Braise for 1.5 hours then check that the meat is cooked.  (The bone should then be removed with ease!)

2.    Pass the liquid and discard all the veg etc; keep the stock as you will use it later.

3.    Reduce the red wine with the juniper berries and remaining thyme to about 100 ml or until sticky.  Add the pork stock and reduce to a sauce; keep tasting to get the right balance.

4.    Cut the bacon bits into lardoons and set to one side.  Melt the duck fat; don’t boil and the peeled shallots and remaining garlic cloves.  Cook until the shallots and garlic are soft.  Pass and set to one side.

5.    Peel and grate the potatoes onto a tea-towel and squeeze out any excess water.  Season the potato with salt and pepper.  Heat a frying pan with a little oil and butter and add the potato.  Press until even around the pan.  Cook for 2-5 mins or until golden brown on the bottom.  Turn over and do the same on the other side.  Finish cooking in the oven for 5 mins, turn out and cool on a wire rack.

6.    Peel, chop and de-seed the squash.  Heat in milk; do not boil, until soft.  Pass and blend it in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

7.    Peel, slice into sticks and cook the salsify in the juniper reduction and set to one side.

8.    Remove any dirt from the mushrooms and tear into strips.

9.    Season all sides of the venison steaks with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.

10.    Heat a frying pan until hot and add the steaks and cook each side and finish in the oven for 2 minutes depending on the size; don’t over cook.

11.    Heat a pan, cut the belly of pork into 4 even pieces and fry in a little oil and butter.  In another pan add the mushrooms, confit shallots, garlic and lardons and pan roast until golden brown; season with pepper.

12.    Heat the potato rosti in the oven and then cut into 4 even pieces.

13.    Heat the butternut puree and spoon onto plates, then the belly, then the rosti and then the mushrooms and confit vegetables.  Slice the venison and arrange over the rosti and pork.  Finish with the reduction and salsify.