Venison with whortleberry sauce

Serves 6

1kg venison loin 1 litre water 100g salt 50g sugar 4g each thyme and rosemary, chopped 2 garlic cloves 2g fennel seeds 3g juniper berries 2g black peppercorns 3 eggs, beaten 50g each fresh parsley and coriander, chopped 200g breadcrumbs 15ml oil

For the sauce

250g fresh whortleberries 2 litres venison stock 500ml red wine juice of 1 lemon 75g caster sugar knob of butter Pour 1 litre of water into a pan and add the salt, sugar, thyme, rosemary, garlic, fennel seeds, juniper berries and peppercorns. Boil for 3-4 mins. Take off the heat and immerse the venison in the brine for 2 hrs. Remove, roll and wrap the meat in clingfilm, then cook for 2 hrs in a pan of water heated to 55°C. Remove and coat with the beaten egg wash. In a bowl, mix the coriander, parsley and breadcrumbs and pat over the meat. Warm the oil in a pan and lightly fry the meat until the breadcrumbs turn golden-brown. In a separate pan, pour the stock and wine and simmer until reduced to 1 litre. In a third pan, place the berries, lemon juice and sugar, and cook on a low heat for 25 mins. Blend the berry mixture and stock on high speed and pass through a fine sieve. Add the puree 1 tbsp at a time to taste, mixing in thoroughly. Finish with a knob of butter. Pour over the sliced meat and serve with roasted seasonal vegetables.