Meal: Main
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 45 mins
Cooking Time: 45 mins
Ingredients
- 550-600g venison loin
- Venison rub
- ½ stick cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 1 star anis
- 4 juniper berries
- 3 peppercorns
Poaching the plums:
- 500ml red wine
- 100g sugar
- 6 plums, not too ripe
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 4 peppercorns
- 1 star anis
- 2 juniper berries
For cooking and dressing:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
For the salad:
- 75g walnut halves
- Salad leaves
Make a dry marinade by crushing 2 cloves, ½ cinnamon stick, 1 star anis, 3 peppercorns, 4 juniper berries and a teaspoon of salt in a pestle and mortar. Grid to a dust. Rub the venison with the mix and leave to marinade for at least an hour or overnight.
Pour the wine, sugar and spices into a pan and bring to the boil. Cut the plums in half, remove the stone and poach slowly for 20mins.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large non stick pan on a medium heat. Add venison and cook until slightly coloured, turn the meat and do the same again. Place on a oven tray and cook for 8-10mins for rare or 12-14mins for medium. Remove from the oven and rest for 10mins before slicing thinly.
In the venison pan, add the balsamic vinegar and 3 tbsp of the plum juices. Scrape the juices and turn off the heat once reduced. This is the salad dressing.
