Recipes

Tom, of Tom Ilic in Battersea, serves up this twist on traditional venison recipes.

Serves 4

    20 sour cherries, such as morello, stoned
    Pedro Ximenez sherry or Kirsch
    Dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa), melted

    1 head of Savoy cabbage, trimmed and finely shredded
    80ml cream
    30-40g Gruyere cheese, grated
    Salt and pepper
 
    4 venison loin steaks, trimmed (120g per person)
    Spice mix (blend of powdered dried orange zest, star anise and juniper)
    50g clarified butter

    50ml port
    50ml Kirsch
    10g butter

Method
 
Macerate the cherries overnight in the sherry or Kirsch. The next day, drain and dip in melted dark chocolate. Leave to set in the fridge.

Blanch the shredded cabbage in boiling water, then refresh in cold water. Drain thoroughly and set aside. In a pan, reduce the cream by half, add the grated cheese then fold the cabbage in. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Rub the venison steaks with the spice blend. Melt the clarified butter in a pan and add the venison. Cook for 4-6 minutes, turning the meat around occasionally to brown each side. When cooked to your liking, remove from the pan, rest and keep warm.

Deglaze the venison pan with the port and Kirsch and reduce by half. Whisk in 10g butter and check the seasoning.

To serve, spoon the creamy cabbage mixture into the centre of the plate. Slice the venison across the grain of the meat and lay over the cabbage. Arrange the cherries around the plate and pour the sauce over the venison.