A delicious recipe for Roast Venison and Beetroot with Poached Pears

Ingredients

For the Roast Venison:

• 6 x 100g deboned loin of venison
• 25g of unsalted butter
• salt and pepper

For the Red Wine Sauce:

• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1/4 tsp of white peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 325ml of red wine
• 400ml of veal stock

For the Roast Beetroot:

• 600g beetroot
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar

For the Spiced Honey Sauce:

• 1/2 tsp lavender
• 1/2 tsp each coriander and cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
• 60ml sherry vinegar
• 25g unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 200ml clear honey
• 1 squeeze of lemon juice

For the Spiced Poached Pears:

• 1l water
• 375g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 star anise, lightly crushed
• 4 sticks of cinnamon
• 6 pears, peeled and cut into wedges

Continues below

Method

• To prepare the beetroot, wash and trim the stalks, then place the beetroot in a saucepan with sugar, thyme, garlic, and vinegar for 45 minutes until the beetroot is tender.
• Drain, peel, and cut the beetroot into cubes once it’s cool enough to touch.

• For the spiced honey sauce, toast the lavender for a few seconds in a dry hot pan, then add the coriander seeds, cumin and Szechuan peppercorns and toast for a few more seconds.
• Pour in the sherry vinegar and boil until it’s reduced to a sticky glaze.
• Add the butter, salt, and honey, and simmer until it has reduced to a syrupy consistency.
• Strain through a fine sieve, discard the spices, season to taste with lemon juice, and set aside.

• For the red wine sauce, heat the oil in a heavy-based pan until hot and add the venison trimmings — if you have them — and fry them over a medium-high heat until golden brown.
• Stir in the shallot and garlic, frying for a few minutes until golden, and then add the thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf.
• Cool the pan with the sherry vinegar and red wine, then scrape the base to release sediment.
• Boil the liquid until it has reduced by three-quarters, add the stock, and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Drain through a fine sieve into a clean pan and boil until it has reduced to a syrup.
• Reheat before serving.

• To poach the pears, place the water, sugar, lemon juice, and spices into a large pan.
• Stir in the sugar, bring the syrup to the boil, then add the pears.
• Cover with dampened baking parchment and simmer for 10 minutes until the pears are tender.
• Reheat before serving.

• For the venison, heat the butter over a medium heat, then add the venison pieces and sear until golden brown. Keep the meat medium rare.
• Remove and place in a warm tray to rest for a few minutes while reheating the pears, sauces, and beetroot.
• Place the beetroot pieces in a frying pan and coat them with three tablespoons of spiced honey.
• Stir frequently while heating for two minutes.
• Thickly slice the venison and cover with the beetroot, pears, and red wine sauce.

This recipe was devised by Jason Atherton who is a chef at Pollen Street Social and it is included in the ChariTable Bookings Signature Dish recipe book. ChariTable Bookings is a philanthropic restaurant booking platform that raises funds for UK registered charities with no cost to you.

When making a booking through ChariTable Bookings, £1 for every diner will be donated to a charity of your choice. Many well-known restaurants throughout the UK have signed up.