New Zealand Venison

Loin of venison in black forest ham with chestnut and cabbage roulade

Preparation: 1 hour     Time to cook: 1 hour    

Ingredients

Venison

 

fully trimmed loin of venison, approx 1 kg, seasoned with cracked pepper
8 thin slices of black forest ham
vegetable oil
4 large leaves of savoy cabbage (crinkly leaf)
1 egg
18 chestnuts roasted and removed from husk or 1 small can of chestnut puree
80 mls of fresh cream
4 slices of bacon cut into small batons, cooked until crisp
butter and oil

Sauce

30 gms butter
2 chopped shallots
1 glass port wine
few drops of red wine vinegar to taste
100 mls of strong meat fond 
¼ cup of blueberries or hollander berries

Garnish

roasted chestnuts
mashed potatoes

Preparation

Trim the loin to a nice even round shape and keep the trimmings for the roulade. Season the loin with cracked pepper and roll in the ham. Sear in a heavy pan for 3 minutes until browned all over. Place in the oven at 180 ̊C for 10 minutes. Remove and rest.

Blanch the cabbage leaves in boiling salted water until soft. Cool and dry. Place each leaf between two tea towels and smash with a heavy pan to break the leaf’s ribs. Trim each leaf so you have 4 evenly-sized squares.

Take the meat trimmings and puree in a food processor. Add the egg and the chestnut puree and blend until smooth, before adding the cream. Blend briefly until very smooth. Add half the bacon and layer this mixture on to the cabbage leaves. Roll them up tight and cook in a pan with a little butter and oil for 8 minutes.

The sauce

Add a knob of butter to the meat cooking pan and sweat the shallots for 2 minutes. Add the port wine, vinegar and then add the meat stock.

Reduce to a pouring consistency, then add the berries just prior to service.

To serve

Slice the meat into 8 pieces and the roulades in half on the bias. Place 1 half standing up on the puree and pour around the sauce. Garnish with a couple of nicely roasted chestnuts, the remaining crispy bacon and some mashed potatoes if desired.