"I am keen to experiment with game after becoming disillusioned with flavourless supermarket meat, but I'm not sure when I can get what game - or what to do with it when I have it! I've been following your blogs and you mention some lovely recipes. My wife turns 35 next week and I want to cook her a three course meal that is game/natural non supermarket type produce orientated. I have blackberries still in my garden I can use, but what would you recommend I do? I've found a game butcher who said he can get me anything I want." Scott Dawson.
H&C blogger and premier game chef Jose L Souto replies:
“Hi Scott, here is something that I think will suit the occasion and is not to taxing. Blackberries are a great ingredient at this time of year and I am tempted to use them in your dessert, but then thought against it as this fruit of the forest is better matched with a starter I have planned. This is what I propose:
Pan fried breast of pigeon with a rocket and shaved parmesan salad dressed with a wild blackberry glaze and caramelized walnuts
Roasted loin of venison on wilted baby spinach, wild porcini mushroom cream sauce with herb and sweet potato mash
Warm apple and nut crumble with a butterscotch sauce.
So if that has hit the taste buds, here are the recipes…
2 pigeon breast skin removed
10g rocket salad
A few parmesan shavings
250g wild blackberries
50g caster sugar
6 walnut halves broken into 4 pieces
1) Place the blackberries into a saucepan with two tablespoons of water and a good teaspoon of sugar.
2) Place a lid on to the blackberries and bring them to boil allow to cook for three to four minutes, then remove and place into a liquidizer.
3) Once liquidized, pass through a sieve to remove pips, then taste; it should have a fruity taste - not to sweet - with the consistency of double cream.
4) Allow to cool then place in fridge.
5) Wash the walnuts in hot water and dry well.
6) Take the rest of the sugar and place it into a clean pan with two tablespoons of water, then bring to boil allowing it to turn a golden colour.
7) Once the sugar has turned a golden colour, remove from stove and allow to cool slightly for three minutes.
8) Drop the walnuts into the caramel one by one allowing the sugar to coat the nuts then carefully remove them using a fork and lace them on to a plate that you have brushed lightly with oil.
9) Allow the nuts to cool and they will go hard and crunchy. These nuts can be prepared well in advance and as long as you keep them in an air tight container in a cool place, they will last for quite some time.
10) Remove the small fillets from the underside of the breast and discard them. Season and pan fry in hot olive oil for two minutes on each side. Remove from pan and allow to rest for four minutes.
11) Wash the rocket leaves and if they’re very long, pick the ends off then lightly dress with a little olive oil.
12) Place the rocket to just one side of the middle of the plate and sprinkle with a few flakes of shaved parmesan cheese.
13) Take the pigeon breast and cut into four slices on the angle, then fan by the rocket.
14) Arrange a few of the walnuts around the salad and finally taking a spoon, drizzle a small amount of the blackberry dressing over the salad.
2 x 120g cannons of venison loin (eye of meat from loin - all sinew removed)
250g baby spinach
10g dried porcini mushrooms
5g porcini or wild mushrooms
1lt beef or veal stock (venison would be best if you can get it)
150ml double cream
1 large baking potato
1 sweet potatoes
½ bunch of chives
50g butter
Virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1) Peel the potato and cut into four pieces and place in a pan of cold salted water. Allow to come to boil and cook.
2) Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into four pieces and place in a pan of cold salted water to come to the boil and cook.
3) Take the dry porcini mushrooms and place them in a bowl, add 100ml of boiling water. Allow them to soak for 30 minutes.
4) Once both potatoes are cooked, drain the water and place back in individual pans. Place the pans back on stove and allow the heat to dry the potatoes out a bit shaking the pan every now - do this for a minute or two.
5) Mash both potatoes separately make sure you have no lumps.
6) Add a knob of butter to the sweet potato, season and mix in well then cover and leave in warm place.
7) Place boiling water in a pan then dip the chives into the water and then into cold water, dry well and place into a liquidizer with a small amount of olive oil. Liquidize this so that the oil will go a green color.
8) Mix the oil into the mashed potato and season, then cover and leave in warm place.
9) Drain the mushrooms and place the mushroom water in a saucepan and add the stock (you can also use a jus - see my blog on jus and stocks) and bring to boil, add the mushrooms and reduce by half.
10) Remove the dried mushrooms and discard.
11) Add the cream and reduce again to the required consistency.
12) Wash and pick any long storks from the spinach.
13) Season the venison and then seal all over in a hot pan with some oil and butter.
14) Place the venison onto a tray and put into a hot oven (180°C) for eight minutes, turning over after four minutes.
15) Remove the venison from oven and allow to rest for five minutes.
16) Melt a small amount of butter in a pan and add the spinach. Season and allow to wilt a little, but not cook all the way.
17) Sauté off the cleaned wild mushrooms and cook in a little butter. Then, drain by placing them onto some kitchen roll to catch excess butter.
18) Place some of the spinach in the middle of the plate; be careful to drain any excess liquid. Slice the venison and place onto the spinach.
19) Using some dessert spoons, shape and quenelle one spoonful of each mash, placing this beside the venison.
20) Next to the mash, place the wild mushrooms with a little of the sauce.
2 Brambly apples
1 lemon
45g butter
6 crushed digestive biscuits
20g nibbed almonds
50 ml double cream
60g caster sugar
1) Peel and slice up the apples then place in water with some lemon juice.
2) Melt 20g butter in a pan, add the apples and 20g sugar.
3) Cook the apple mix until the apples are soft and cooked. Taste and add more sugar if required. The mixture should be quite thick - if it is still watery, cook longer so that mix reduces and thickens then allow to cool.
4) Place 40g sugar into a pan with a dash of water then boil and allow to become a caramel but not too dark.
5) Once you have the caramel, remove from the heat and add knobs of butter one at a time, mixing in well each time.
6) After the butter is mixed in, add double cream. As you stir this in, return it to stove just to warm slightly for two to three minutes.
7) Remove the sauce from the stove and place it in a glass bowl to cool then refrigerate.
8) Take some thick white card and cut a strip 5cm wide and 30cm long then curl into a circle stapling the end to make the size of the dessert you want.
9) Grease the inside of this card ring with a little butter, place it onto a grease tray and three quarters fill with apple mix.
10) Melt 25g butter and mix with the biscuit and nibbed almonds, then fill the rest of the card ring with this.
11) Cook in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool (this can all be done well in advance)
12) Just before serving, warm the crumble in the oven and then place onto plate removing the card ring and serving with a little sauce on the side or in a mini cream Jug.
Most of the prep for this meal can be done in advance, even the meat can be sealed and left to one side then placed in the oven as and when. This will allow you to sit and eat with the minimum amount of fuss. This is the order I suggest you do your prep:
Starter
Make blackberry sauce
Caramelize walnuts
Make parmesan shavings
Wash rocket
Season and seal pigeon quickly in very hot oil
Main
Make sauce
Make both mashes
Pick spinach
Clean mushrooms
Season and seal venison quickly in very hot oil
Dessert
Make the butterscotch sauce
Make the nut crumble
Starter
Place pigeon in oven
Dress leaves and plate
Add cheese and nuts to plate
Rest pigeon
Cut and plate pigeon
Plate and dress with blackberry sauce
Main
Before you clear the starter, place the venison in oven
Clear starter
Warm mashes
Warm sauce
Rest venison
Wilt spinach
Sauté mushrooms
Cut venison
Plate
Dessert
Once you have served the main, turn the oven off and place the dessert into the oven to warm
Clear main
Plate dessert
Hope this helps - let us know how you get on
Jose.”
| 1:00am | Badminton 2011 - Cross Country |
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