Through thick & thin
If you’re looking for meal inspiration, venison cuts lend themselves to lots of different recipes.
With spring almost upon us, it’s time to start thinking about lighter, easier meals, such as salads. Iron-rich, flavourful venison is perfect. Many cooks have never tried venison, but this healthy fat-free meat is suited to many different recipes. Do not overcook it, though, as it will quickly dry out and the flavour will become strong.
One food trend is for marketers and producers, such as Silver Fern Farms, to tell the story behind products, with packaging providing information so that consumers understand provenance, identify health benefits and find meal ideas.
This move is helpful to home cooks, because pre-packaged portions of venison mince, roasts, stirfries and steaks are available in most supermarkets.
These recipes are light, easy and well-suited to serving in the coming warmer months.
ROAST VENISON AND SPINACH SALAD
250g venison roast
2 tbsp spice rub (see sidebar, next page) 300g baby spinach leaves
10 fresh dates
2 oranges
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 cup mint and/or coriander leaves 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil for frying DRESSING
1 orange, juice and zest
4 tbsp harissa-flavoured olive oil salt and pepper Rub the meat with your favourite spice rub, then leave it for at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, assemble the other ingredients. Wash and dry the spinach leaves, removing any long stalks. Stone the dates, then cut in half. Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, removing all the white pith, then cut the flesh into neat pieces. Pick over the herb leaves, removing the stalks.
To make the dressing, mix the ingredients together. Preheat the oven to 190°C. To cook the venison, heat the oil in a heavy ovenproof frying pan until very hot. Sear the meat on all sides, then pop the pan into the oven. Roast for 4-6 minutes, then remove the venison from the pan, wrap in foil and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing thinly. The venison should be very rare, but if you like it a little more well-cooked, roast for an extra 2-3 minutes.
To assemble the salad, pile the spinach onto a serving platter.
Nestle the dates and orange pieces among the leaves. Scatter over the pumpkin seeds and herbs. Add the venison slices, then drizzle with the dressing.
Serves 4.
Wine match: rosé.
VENISON SLIDERS
400g venison mince
1 small beetroot (80g)
1 medium carrot (80g)
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 tsp caraway seeds salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 soft white buns spicy fruit chutney
1 small head cos lettuce
1 avocado
100g fresh sprouts (eg, bean or radish) 3 tbsp vegetable oil for frying DRESSING
2 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 lemon, juice and zest 2 tbsp avocado oil
1 tsp salt
Place the meat in a bowl. Grate the beetroot and carrot finely using a fine microplane grater or the finest cutting edge on a standard grater. Add the vegetables to the meat with the parsley, caraway seeds and a generous amount