Venison shank, black garlic, cheesy polenta

Serves 4

Venison shank

This can be cooked in a slow cooker or ovenproof dish.

4 x venison shanks (200-300g each); 1 medium onion – diced; 1 medium carrot – diced; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 cups chicken stock; 2 sprigs rosemary; 2 garlic cloves; 3-4 tbsp black garlic sauce; pinch salt

1. First, warm oil in a medium frypan, add in shanks and brown on all sides before placing browned shanks in slow cooker or dish.

2. Next, add onions, carrots and garlic to the frypan and cook until semi-soft, then add with venison shanks.

3. Add one cup of water to the frypan to deglaze and remove any of the tasty juices left, then add this mixture to the slow cooker or dish as well.

4. Add the stock, rosemary, salt and 2 tablespoons of the black garlic sauce to the dish and cover.

5. Cook at 130°C for 7 to 8 hours (Check after 7 hours to see if it is ready – the venison will fall off the bone). If using a slow cooker, cook on low for the same amount of time.

6. Once cooked, remove dish from oven or turn off slow cooker, then leave for 30 minutes to rest.

7. After 30 minutes, remove the shanks from the liquid and keep warm.

8. Next, strain the liquid through a sieve into a medium pan and reduce to onethird.

9. Finally, add remaining black garlic sauce to enhance flavour and place shanks back into liquid.

Cheesy polenta

Make minutes before you serve as it’s pretty quick.

3 cups milk (I use fresh local milk); 1 cup polenta; 50g butter; 60g cheese – grated; salt to taste

1. Pour milk into a medium pot and bring to the boil.

2. Add polenta and stir continually until thickens.

3. Next, add butter and cheese and mix well.

4. Finally, season with salt to your taste.

To serve:

Place cheesy polenta on bottom of the plate and place a venison shank on top. Ladle some of the reduced liquid over the top and enjoy with lightly cooked seasonable vegetables, such as the So Sweet carrots pictured here.

Chef Ethan Flack is keen to champion produce found in Southland. To find out more about Ethan, go to https:/ /www.ethanflack.co.nz/