Spiced Plum and Venison salad

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
Method

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.