Saddle of venison with ceps and boulangère potatoes
This hearty dish of venison and mushroom is full of autumnal flavour and would make an impressive main at a dinner party
Ingredients
For the boulangère potatoes
- 2 white onions, thinly sliced
- 20g/¾ oz butter
- 10 charlotte potatoes, sliced into discs with a mandolin
- 10ml/2 tsp chardonnay vinegar
- 500ml/18 fl oz chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cep butter
- 150g/5½ oz butter, softened
- 15g/½ oz cep powder
For the venison
- 400g/14 oz venison loin clean of sliver and fat
- 4 large fresh ceps, cleaned and cut in half
- 150ml/5½ oz readymade best quality beef gravy
- 50g/1¾ oz Lingonberries
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
To make the boulangère potatoes, sweat the onions with the butter, salt and pepper until soft and translucent. Set aside. Arrange the potato slices around the outside of a round oven proof dish. Continue to place them in concentric circles, working your way into the centre of the dish. Top with a layer of onions and repeat the process until the pot is full and the potaoto and onion is used up. Pour over the chicken stock – it should come about ¾ of the way up the potatoes. Add the bay and thyme and bake for 45 minutes.
To make the cep butter, mix the softened butter with the cep powder and set aside.
Season the venison and place a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the meat and brown it all over. Once coloured, add 100g/3½ oz of the cep butter and use it to baste the meat until cooked to your liking. Allow to rest.
Score the ceps and place cut-side-down in a hot frying pan. Season with salt and pepper and add 20g/¾ oz of the cep butter, remove from the heat and allow to rest.
To serve, slice the venison and lay onto a plate, add the roasted ceps. Bring the gravy to the boil with the lingonberries and then drizzle on the plate. Serve the boulangère potatoes on the side.