Venison is the type of meat that many people know about and will enjoy in a restaurant but have never attempted to cook at home. It can sound expensive and difficult to create a venison dish in your own kitchen, but in fact there are many venison recipes that are quick and easy to make.
Venison is the general name given to any red deer meat in the UK. It is lean, low in fat and packed full of flavour. It is now widely available in supermarkets and can come from wild, park or farmed animals. The most common varieties of deer meat are red, fallow and roe.
Heat some oil in a heavy pan and sear the medallions for 60-90 seconds on each side. Season with cracked black pepper and set aside somewhere warm.
Using the same pan, sauté the shallots, as well as the ginger, in butter, include red currant jelly, port, and zest of an orange along with orange juice. Reduce it by up to half the amount then add beef stock and reduce again so it suits your desired consistency. Next, add vinegar to taste and thicken with arrowroot and berries and heat through.
Serve with parsnip chips, mushrooms and seasonal vegetables.
This is a really straightforward venison recipe and should give even the most tentative chefs the chance to push the boat out and try something a little different. Once you are confident cooking venison try more unusual and exotic flavours and ingredients with deer, such as chicory, chocolate and chanterelle mushrooms.