<Tom Kerridge Roast venison loin with pumpkin & Sichuan salt

Make the most of seasonal veg with these new ideas using comforting squash and pumpkin

“I love the turn of the seasons, as we move away from summer vegetables and lighter dishes over into more autumnal cooking, like this roast venison ”

Tom Kerridge’s roast venison loin with pumpkin & Sichuan salt Serves 4 Prep 15 mins Cook 1 hr 10 mins Q Q Q

1 small pumpkin or squash, peeled and seeds removed, then sliced into wedges

8 sage leaves

60ml maple syrup

3 shallots, peeled and sliced lengthways 40g butter

600g venison loin, fat and sinew

removed

FOR THE SICHUAN SALT

10 Sichuan peppercorns

1 tbsp flaky salt

1 tsp chopped rosemary

1 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put the pumpkin, sage, maple syrup and shallots in a roasting tin and mix to coat. Add half of the butter and sprinkle over some salt, then roast for 45 mins or until tender.

2 While the veg is roasting, heat a frying pan, add a splash of oil and the remaining butter. When foaming, add the venison and sear as quickly as you can. Remove from the heat and set aside. Once the vegetables are soft, lay the loin on top and return the tin to the oven to cook for another 15-20 mins.

3 While the venison is roasting, put the pepper, salt and rosemary into a pestle and mortar and grind to a coarse seasoning. When the venison is cooked, remove from the oven and rest for 10 mins. While it’s resting, brush with the glaze from the pan and sprinkle over a generous pinch of the Sichuan salt. Serve the carved venison with the pumpkin and shallots.

PER SERVING 367 kcals, fat 19g, saturates 12g, carbs 13g, sugars 11g, fibre 2g, protein 35g, salt 3.8g