Recipe: Venison with Brussel sprouts, pear purée and salsify

You may not be able to dine at the restaurant just yet, but that doesn’t mean you should be deprived of good food.

Our head chef, Adam Hague shares his recipe for a dish that’s sure to impress when served for a special meal. 

Venison with Brussel sprouts, pear purée and salsify

Serves 2 people

Venison may not be the first meat that comes to mind for at-home cooking, but with around 50 percent less fat than beef, it’s a lean, tasty alternative that’s inexpensive and full of flavour. 

Adam’s latest dish sees venison saddle trimmed and caramelised, before being pan-roasted to rosy perfection in butter. A rich pear purée, and sweet, nutty sprouts add extra dimensions of flavour – especially when served with tender salsify. 

Ingredients

Pear purée

3 William pears (peeled)
Half a lemon (juiced)
50ml rice wine vinegar
50ml pear juice
15g caster sugar

Sprouts

250g Brussel sprouts
200ml double cream
100ml vegetable stock
25g butter

Salsify

200g salsify (peeled)
Half a lemon (juiced)

Venison 

240g venison saddle (trimmed)
25g butter
Drop of oil
Sea salt

Method

To begin, start by making the pear purée. Dice two and a half pears and add to a pan with the pear juice, vinegar, and sugar. Simmer until most of the liquid has reduced, before blending until smooth. Cut the remaining pear into four and place into water with the lemon juice. 

Next up is the sprouts. Remove the outer leaves and discard, leaving a few for the garnish. Then, thinly slice the sprouts, before adding to a pan of melting butter. Cook for a minute and then add the stock. Reduce, then add the cream, and reduce further. Lastly, blend the sprouts and pass through a sieve. 

The salsify can also be prepared in advance, and can be done so by taking a pan and filling with water. Add 25g of salt per litre and bring to the boil, before adding the lemon juice. Cook the salsify until tender but with a bite. Remove and allow to cool, and then portion into 4-5cm batons.

Now it’s time to cook the venison. In a hot pan with a small amount of oil, caramelise the meat on all sides. Transfer to the oven and cook for 5-8 minutes (depending on the thickness of the cut). Then, add butter to the pan and baste, before adding the remaining pear to the pan.

Rest for 5-10 minutes

Colour the salsify in oil and butter in a medium hot pan.

Slice the deer loin, sprinkle some sea salt over and enjoy.

You can now rest the venison for 5-10 minutes.

When you’re almost ready to serve, colour the salsify in oil and butter in a medium-hot pan.

Finally, slice the venison loin, and sprinkle some sea salt over.

Bon appétit!