Northumbrian venison loin & scrumpet, caramelised chicory, beetroot ketchup
Author: Paul Johnson
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 saddle venison
- 1 tsp juniper berries
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 orange, zest
- 2 bulbs garlic, peeled
- 125ml rapeseed oil
- Scrumpet:
- 1 haunch venison
- 500ml red wine
- 1 litre brown chicken stock
- 100g plain flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 100g panko breadcrumbs
- Caramelised chicory:
- 2 heads chicory
- 75ml red wine vinegar
- 150ml orange juice
- 50g honey
- 50g butter
- Ketchup:
- 1 onion, finely diced
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp salt
- pinch ground black pepper
- 2 cloves
- 500g cooked beetroot, peeled and grated
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 75ml white wine vinegar
- 50ml dry cider
- 50g dark brown sugar
Method
- For the beetroot ketchup, sweat the onion off in a saucepan.
- Add coriander, salt, pepper and cloves and cook for a few mins.
- Add beetroot and apples, cook for a further 5 mins.
- Add vinegar, cider and sugar, cover and leave to cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the mix comes together like chutney.
- Put in a food processor and blitz until smooth.
- Check seasoning and set aside to cool to room temp.
- For the venison loin, remove loins from the saddle, trim fat and cut into four portions. Marinade with juniper berries, peppercorns, 4 sprigs thyme, orange zest, garlic and oil.
- For the scrumpets, place bones and trimmings from the saddle into a deep pan or roasting tray.
- Add the venison haunch and sear off in 75ml hot rapeseed oil.
- Add the wine, chicken stock and a pinch of thyme.
- Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 6-8 hours until the meat is tender and falls off the bone.
- Strain the meat from the stock, shred into small pieces and set aside.
- Reduce cooking liquour over a medium heat until thick and syrupy.
- Mix this reduced stock through the meat, press into a tray, cover in cling film and leave to set in the fridge.
- When set, cut into portions.
- Put flour, egg and breadcrumbs on separate plates and coat the portions in each in turn, ready to be cooked.
- Chicory - cut in half and place cut side down into a pan.
- Cover with vinegar, orange juice, 4 sprigs thyme, honey and butter.
- Simmer until the liquid turns to caramel and the chicory is cooked.
- To serve, season and fry the loin in a pan with oil and butter - 4 mins each side.
- Leave to rest at least 5 mins.
- Deep fry scrumpets in a fryer at 180C for 2-3 mins then finish in the oven at 200C/Gas 6 for 8 mins.
- Carve venison and assemble all the components on plates.
