Roast Loin of Venison with a Red Wine Sauce

Recipe by Nicola Fletcher - Serves 4

Ingredients

700 g (1.5 lbs) trimed venison loin

Butter & oil for browning

1 heaped tbsp of redcurrant jelly

12 juniper berries, crushed

200 ml or 7 fl oz of dry red wine

1/4 pint of reduced venison stock (use the trimmings)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to gas 7, 220 C, 425 F. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan until the butter is golden, season the meat and brown it all over. Turn it into a small roasting pan and tip the hot fat over the top.  Do not wash the pan. Roast the venison for 8 to 10 minutes then remove it to rest for 12 to 15 minutes, this will be quite pink.  If you want it more done, let it rest for another 10 minutes.  The meat must not actually cook further, merely be kept warm so that the meat relaxes and ends up evenly pink throughout.

While the meat rests, add the jelly, crushed juniper berries and red wine to the frying pan and de-glaze the pan juices.  When the jelly has dissolved, add the stock and then reduce until you have a small amount of exquisite ruby - coloured sauce.  Leave it like this until the meat is ready, so that the juniper berries can infuse, then strain the sauce to remove the juniper. 

When the meat has rested add the juices that came out of the joint to the sauce, give it a quick boil and adjust the seasoning before straining it. Cut the meat into thick chunks or thin slices according to taste and serve with the sauce.