New Zealand Venison

Venison chop with polenta

Serves: 4     Preparation: 1 hour     Time to cook: 30 mins    

Ingredients

1 rack venison
garlic
chopped basil, rosemary, oregano & parsley
vegetable oil

red, green and yellow peppers
green beans
asparagus spears
zucchini
baby corn
ripe red tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, skinned

shallots, chopped
selection of mushrooms: brown champignon, shitake, portobello & cepes chopped into 1/4 inch dice
1 cup polenta
marsala wine
balsamic vinegar
meat glaze or brown sauce
sundried tomatoes, chopped in small dice
olive oil

Remove silverskin from rack.

Chop garlic finely. Mix with some of the fresh herbs and rub into the meat. Sear meat on hot grill or skillet for about 2 minutes each side until meat is a nice brown colour. Finish in a hot oven (200 ̊C) for approximately 20 minutes.

Prepare vegetables and blanch quickly and refresh in ice water. Skin and seed tomatoes, cut into wedges. Sauté shallots, add the diced mushroom and sauté quickly. Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes until dried out, let cool.

Cook polenta until it is soft and has a porridge-like consistency. Take a round of polenta (about 2 tablespoons) and spread like a pancake 1/4 inch thick between two sheets of saran wrap. Remove plastic from top, spoon mushroom into middle and pick up the polenta from under the saran wrap to form a pouch. Pinch the top and allow to cool.

While meat rests, deglaze the roasting pan with marsala and balsamic vinegar to lift the juices. Add some meat glaze or stock (thicken with cornstarch if needed). Add sundried tomatoes. Sauté the vegetables, garlic and herbs in olive oil. Arrange on center of plate.

Place reheated polenta parcel in the middle. Lean chop on the bag. Pour a cordon of sauce around parcel. Garnish with a few small sprigs of an appropriate herb.