Pan-fried venison steak loin with berry compôte and garlic kale
Two 150g steaks cut from venison tenderloin pan fried in butter and herbs and topped with roasted juniper berries, accompanied by a blueberry bramble compôte and garlic kale.
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Heavy sauté pan (cast iron, e.g.)
- Small Saucepan
- Medium Saucepan
- Colander
Ingredients
- 2 150g venison loin steaks
- 10 g Juniper berries (crushed)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 10g dried thyme)
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 10g dried rosemary)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 40 g butter
- 150 g blueberries
- 150 g blackberries
- 30 g brown sugar
- 1/2 lemon (juiced)
- 200 g curly leaf kale
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
For the Compôte
- Put your small saucepan over medium heat and dump the blueberries, blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice in there. The blueberries will start bursting at their little seams as the sauce comes to a boil. After this, lower the heat so the sauce simmers, and cook it for 15-20 mins until the sauce is reduced. Taste throughout, adding more sugar or lemon as needed.
Garlic Kale
- Bring water to boil in your medium saucepan. Salt the water if you’re the salty sort. Add the kale and cook for 45-60 seconds and then drain into colander. Lower the heat of the saucepan to medium-low and add the half of the butter and half of the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Put the drained kale back into the pot and let the ingredients acquaint themselves. Cook for 4-5 mins or until soft.
For the Venison Loin Steaks
- Timing is imperative here. Right before you start cooking, generously coat the venison steaks with salt and pepper and rub them all over with the vegetable oil. Take your heavy sauté pan and crank the heat up to high.
- Once it’s sizzling, throw the steaks there and sear them for 1 minute on each side. Take the pan off the stove and lower the heat to low.
- Add the butter and garlic to the pan, being careful not to burn the butter. Put half the spice sprigs on top of the venison and the other half in the butter. Put the pan back on the stove and cook for 4-5 mins but no longer. Keep basting the venison with the butter. You don’t want to overcook the venison. Err on the side of undercooking.
- Let the venison sit for 2 minutes off the stove while you plate everything else.
Plating
- Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the compote onto the centre of the plate. Add the garlic kale to the plate and whatever other accompaniments. Add the venison steaks on top of the compôte and add the crushed juniper berries on top. Go and enjoy it.