Roasted Rack of Venison with Grand Veneur Sauce and Root Vegetables
This comforting and luxurious recipe for venison with root vegetables makes for an impressive dinner party main course, complete with a rich grand veneur sauce.
Ingredients
| 900g (2lb) | 8-bone venison rack, French trimmed, with the trimmings reserved |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| 25g (scant 1oz) | stale white breadcrumbs |
| 1 tbsp | chopped thyme |
| 1 tbsp | chopped rosemary |
| 1 tbsp | Dijon mustard |
| For the root vegetables: | |
| 2 | parsnips, peeled and finely diced |
| 2 | carrots, finely diced |
| 150g (51⁄2oz) | celeriac, finely diced |
| 2 | small turnips, finely diced |
| 2 tbsp | olive oil |
| salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| For the grand veneur sauce: | |
| 25g (scant 1oz) | butter |
| 20g (3⁄4oz) | diced carrot |
| 1 | shallot, chopped |
| 1 | celery stick, finely chopped |
| 20g (3⁄4oz) | chopped leek |
| sprig of thyme | |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| 8 | black peppercorns |
| 20g (3⁄4oz) | tomato purée |
| 2 tbsp | red wine vinegar |
| 250ml (8fl oz) | dry red wine |
| 120ml (4fl oz) | hot water |
| 1 tbsp | redcurrant jelly |
| 1 tbsp | double cream |
| 1 tsp | butter |
Essential kit
You will need: a food processor and a casserole dish.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). To roast the vegetables, place them in a roasting tin and pour over the oil, season well and toss to coat with oil. Roast in the oven for 45–50 minutes, turning over once or twice during cooking to ensure browning on all sides.
2. Season the venison rack and heat half the oil in a large frying pan. When hot, add the rack and sear for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a roasting tin, bone-side down, and cook in the hot oven for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, toast the breadcrumbs in the oven for 5–7 minutes, turning once to ensure even browning. Then blend in a food processor with the thyme, rosemary, seasoning, and the remaining oil.
4. Remove the venison from the oven and brush with mustard, avoiding the bones. Then roll in the breadcrumb mix, return to the oven and cook for 8 minutes for medium. Remove from the oven and leave to rest.
5. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a casserole dish. Add the vegetables and leave to sweat for 5 minutes. Mix in the thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and tomato purée and cook for 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and reduce until almost dry. Add the wine and reduce by half. Then add the water and reduce again until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remove the herbs and strain the sauce. To finish, gently whisk in the redcurrant jelly, double cream, and butter.
6. To serve, carve the rack into 4 pieces. Arrange on a bed of the roasted root vegetables and finish by pouring over the sauce.
