Ingredients
500 g Venison (Denver Leg)
30 ml Vegetable Oil
30 g Butter
200 g Fresh Beetroot
50 g Potato
50 ml Heavy Cream
50 g Valrhona Xocopili Chocolate or high quality 70% cocoa chocolate with a few drops of Tabasco sauce
100 ml Banyuls or Madeira
Salt, Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Beetroot Purée:
You can prepare this purée well ahead of time, even the day before.
Peel the beets and potato. Cook them in just enough water to cover until very soft.
Purée the beet and potato in a food processor until very smooth. You may need to add a little bit of the cooking liquid to 'loosen" the purée.
Add the cream to the purée. Season lightly with salt if desired.
Roast Venison:
Pre-heat the oven to 275 °C.
In an oven-proof frying pan, heat the oil and butter.
Salt and pepper the venison.
Brown the meat in the pan on all sides.
Place the pan & meat in the oven.
Cook until medium-rare (55 °C on meat thermometer) .
Place the venison on a plate, and cover with tin foil.
Chocolate Sauce:
While the meat rests, melt the chocolate in a double-boiler or in the microwave (no more than 50% power)
Deglaze the pan with the Banyuls or Madeira.
Reduce the liquid by half.
Add the liquid to the melted chocolate, and mix well.
Slice the venison, and plate it with the chocolate sauce and the beetroot purée. Serve with carrots, asparagus or broccoli, and rösti potatoes or hash browns.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
