Venison is best served rare to medium-rare because it contains very little fat and becomes tough quite easily while it’s cooking. Savoy cabbage has a mellow cabbage flavour and tender leaves. If you decide to use regular green cabbage instead, cook it for 5 minutes longer. Haricots verts (French green beans) are thinner and crisper than regular green beans. Either can be used for this recipe. Yield is 4 servings.
ingredients
Rack of Venison
Pan Reduction
Sauteed Purple Potatoes
Sauteed Savoy Cabbage
Buttery Haricots Verts
directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the juniper berries, fennel seeds, savory leaves, oregano leaves and mint leaves in a mortar.
Crush the mixture with a pestle.
Season the rack of venison with salt and pepper and press the crushed spice and herb mixture onto the fleshly side of the venison rack.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat.
Add the venison rack, fleshy-side down and sear it on all sides, about 8 minutes in total.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the venison for about 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 140 degrees F.
Remove the venison from the pan and let it rest on a board for 10 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the venison trimmings, shallots, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and porcini stems to the pan.
Saute the vegetables for about 6 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and starting to turn golden.
Turn the heat up to medium and deglaze the pan with the white wine.
Add the water and simmer for about 45 minutes or until reduced to a syrupy consistency.
Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a small clean saucepan and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Swirl in the butter and keep warm over low heat.
Cut the purple potatoes in half lengthwise and slice them crosswise 1/2-inch thick.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and sauté for 4 minutes.
Add the sliced porcinis and sliced purple potatoes and saute for about 10 minutes or until cooked and starting to brown.
Add the freshly grated horseradish and stir to combine.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Keep warm.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the onion and saute for 6 minutes or until softened.
Stir in the ground ginger, thyme sprigs and brown sugar.
Add the shredded cabbage.
Saute for about 10 minutes or until soft and cooked.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring a large pot boiling salted water to a rolling boil over high heat.
Blanch the haricots verts for 30 seconds and transfer them to a large bowl ice water.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the haricots verts and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Saute the haricots verts for 5 minutes or until heated through.
Slice the rack of venison between the bones to form 8 chops.
Serve the chops with the pan reduction, purple potatoes, savoy cabbage and haricots verts.