Like many of us, as the end of winter beckons, I often find myself yearning for a glimpse of springtime, when the earth begins to leave its period of hibernation and the air is filled with anticipation once again.
For me, the wild and beautiful countryside is perhaps at its greatest in February. The moors and woodlands have a palette of earthy browns, soft greys and frost-tipped branches look magical.
Within this wilderness you’ll find deer aplenty in Yorkshire, with the season for fallow bucks open throughout February and therefore meat readily available to us for our menu. Venison is one of my absolute favourite meats; tender and incredibly lean with a distinctly natural flavour thanks to the animals’ natural diet of local forage – it’s a very healthy meat and a wonderful alternative to beef.
On that note, this month’s recipe is a perfect way to integrate more local produce into your cooking home, something we should all be striving for. Roast loin of venison served with maple syrup-glazed parsnips and a rich Madeira sauce; a great dish to spend a leisurely afternoon cooking – or maybe a Valentine’s supper?
Roast Venison Loin with Parsnips, Cardamom, Quinoa & Medjool Dates
Serves 2
Ingredients
100g quinoa
200ml chicken stock
5 whole cardamom pods
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 sprig of thyme
2 parsnips, peeled and quartered
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
250g venison loin, trimmed and cleaned
Salt and cracked black pepper
25g unsalted butter
6 medjool dates
1 tbsp cooked and diced baby carrots
1 tsp peeled and grated ginger
1 tsp chopped coriander
Madeira sauce (shop bought will do)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Place the quinoa in a saucepan and cover with the chicken stock. Add the cardamom pods, garlic and thyme, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for 12-15 minutes.
3. Remove the cardamom pods, garlic clove and thyme stalk and discard. Put the quinoa aside in its pan.
4. Warm a roasting tray in the oven.
5. Cook the parsnips in salted boiling water for 15 minutes or until just cooked.
6. Remove from the water and place in the hot roasting tray with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Put the tray back in the oven and cook the parsnips for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown turning them every 2 minutes.
7. When the parsnips are golden brown, add the maple syrup and place back in the oven to allow it to glaze the parsnips. Keep warm until needed.
8. In a hot frying pan, add the remaining olive oil. Season the venison loin with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Seal the venison on all sides until golden brown.
9. Add the butter to the pan. Once foaming, turn down the heat and cook for a further 2 minutes, continuously rolling the loin in butter. Remove from the pan.
10. Meanwhile, warm the quinoa through. Chop 4 of the dates and add them to the pan along with the carrots, ginger and coriander. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
11. To serve, spoon the quinoa onto 2 plates. Carve the venison loin and lay on top, garnishing with the remaining dates. Add the parsnips and finish the whole dish with Madeira sauce.
