Black Garlic-Marinated Haunch of Venison, Creamed Black Cabbage with Toasted Pine Nuts, Black Cherry and Red Wine Sauce and Roasted Wild Mushrooms

The concept of combining black garlic with black cherry and black cabbage came to me in a lucid dream during a nap one afternoon. Bizarrely I was dreaming about food. My subconscious had already put some of the ingredients there at the start of the dream but my conscious mind began to formulate the dish and that’s where the trio of black ingredients came in. The flavour combinations really work and I urge you try this. As always, the quality of flavour is in the ingredients – superb venison from the Cairngorms, dry-aged for 21 days, supplied by the great guys at Farmison. The black cherry sauce would also go equally well with duck. I made my own game stock for the sauce. It’s ok to substitute it for chicken stock if all else fails, but of course the sauce won’t have quite the same depth of flavour.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

For the black garlic venison:

4 x 200g 21-day dry-aged venison haunch steaks

16 cloves of Balsajo black garlic

1 tbsp light rapeseed oil

2 tsp Maldon sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the black cherry and red wine sauce:

12 pitted black cherries

50g caster sugar

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

400ml game stock

175ml red wine

1 tsp redcurrant jelly

1 sprig of thyme

For the creamed black cabbage:

cavolo nero, stems removed and thinly sliced

300ml double cream

150ml low-salt organic chicken stock

50g Mrs. Kirkham’s Smoked Lancashire Cheese

a small handful of pine nuts, toasted

For the roasted wild mushrooms:

250g wild mushrooms

25g Grandma Singleton’s Whey Cream Butter

2 tbsp walnut oil

3 sprigs of lemon thyme, leaves picked

Maldon sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Method:

To prepare the venison:

1.    Using a pestle and mortar, crush the black garlic cloves with the sea salt to a paste then mix with light rapeseed oil and freshly ground black pepper.

2.    Coat the venison haunch steaks equally with the black paste making sure each steak is evenly coated.

3.    Put the steaks in a glass or ceramic bowl covered with cling film or in a sealed plastic container and marinate for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

4.    Before you cook the venison, remove from the fridge and allow the meat to come to room temperature.

To make the sauce:

1.    Place the sugar and red wine vinegar in a saucepan over a medium heat and simmer stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid has evaporated.

2.    Add the red wine, game stock, black cherries and sprig of thyme and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half. Sieve through a chinois into a clean pan pressing the black cherries to extract their juices.

3.    Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce by a third. Taste the sauce, if you think it needs to be sweeter, add a little more redcurrant jelly. The sauce should be of a pouring consistency. If it thickens too much whisk in a little boiling water to thin it down.

For the creamed black cabbage:

Put the chicken stock and cream in a medium saucepan over a medium/high heat and simmer until reduced by two-thirds. Add the grated cheese and stir into the sauce. Add the cavolo nero and cook until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste. Stir in half of the pine nuts and save the rest to garnish the dish.

To roast the wild mushrooms:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Place a sheet of non-stick baking parchment on a roasting tray. Remove any dirt from the mushrooms using a brush then scatter them on top of the baking parchment. Dot the mushrooms with small pieces of the whey cream butter and drizzle with walnut oil. Scatter the lemon thyme leaves over the mushrooms then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for ten minutes.

To cook the venison:

Pan-fry the venison steaks for about four minutes, two minutes on each side in light rapeseed oil making sure each steak is evenly browned on all sides. Transfer the venison to a roasting tray and finish in the oven at 180°C for two minutes. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for a few minutes before slicing into 1cm thick pieces.

To serve:

Scotch Whisky-Glazed Haggis Meatloaf with a Big Mac Sauce, Neeps and Tatties

A rich and sumptuous meatloaf combining haggis from Farmison, minced Scottish beef (Aberdeen Angus), minced pork and bacon - crusty on the top with a sweet whisky glaze to contrast with the tender and flavoursome savoury meat. Served with a Big Mac Sauce which complements and cuts through the richness of the meatloaf superbly. Wouldn’t be right without neeps ‘n tatties for a hearty Burns Night meal.

Serves 6.

Haggis Meatloaf

1 x 454g Farmison Traditional Haggis

500g Scottish beef, minced (e.g. Angus, Galloway, Highland)

100g lean minced pork

100g smoked bacon, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 large smoked garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

100g fresh breadcrumbs

a small bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp Tabasco Sauce

2 tbsp Scotch whisky

unsalted butter

rapeseed oil

black pepper

1. Melt a large knob of butter and a tablespoon of rapeseed oil in a frying pan, add the finely chopped onion and cook gently with a pinch of smoked sea salt until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned. Add the minced garlic and cook for a further minute or so. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

2. Remove the haggis filling from its casing and crumble into a large bowl, then add the minced beef and pork, finely chopped bacon, herbs, egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco and Scotch whisky.

3. Add the cooled onion and mix well with your hands until well combined. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.

4. Line the base and sides of a 1.2kg loaf tin with greaseproof baking paper, leave some of the paper hanging over the sides as this will make it easier to remove the meatloaf from the tin when it’s cooked.

5. Pack the meatloaf mixture tightly into the tin pressing it into the corners pushing out any air pockets. Using the back of a wet spoon, smooth the top of the meatloaf so it’s flat and even.

6. Put the meatloaf tin in the fridge and leave to rest for 1 hour.

While the meatloaf is chilling in the fridge, prepare the Scotch Whisky Glaze and the Big Mac Sauce:

Scotch Whisky Glaze:

100ml Scotch whisky

50g soft dark brown sugar

¼ tsp onion granules

¼ tsp garlic granules

2 tbsp Heinz Tomato Ketchup

1 tsp French’s Yellow Mustard

1 tbsp distilled white malt vinegar

½ organic beef stock cube

¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika

a pinch of ground white pepper

1. Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan the bring to the boil whisking constantly to dissolve the sugar.

2. Reduce the heat and simmer until reduced to a glaze consistency, about five minutes until all the sugar has dissolved. Set aside until ready to use.

Big Mac Sauce:

300g mayonnaise

1.5 tbsp sweet pickle relish

2 tbsp pickled gherkin, finely chopped

1 tsp Heinz Tomato Ketchup

1 tsp French’s Classic Yellow Mustard

2 tsp crispy dried onion, crushed to a powder

2 tsp distilled white vinegar

½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

a pinch of ground white pepper

a pinch of sea salt

Put all ingredients into a saucepan, simmer gently for a few minutes. Cool, then blitz in a blender. Transfer to small bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.

To cook the meatloaf:

1. Remove the meatloaf from the fridge and preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½. Place the meatloaf tin on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

2. Remove the meatloaf tin from the oven and brush the top of the meatloaf generously with the glaze.

Neeps and Tatties

1kg potatoes washed, unpeeled and cut into large chunks

650g swede peeled and cut into large chunks

25g butter

rapeseed oil

sea salt

black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.

2. Put the potatoes into a pan of lightly salted boiling water. Bring the pan back to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes then drain in a colander. Let the potatoes steam for a few minutes.

3. Pour a thin layer of oil into a large roasting tray and place in the preheated oven. When the oil is smoking hot remove the tray from the oven then add the potatoes. Toss the potatoes to coat them in the oil then scatter with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in the oven to roast for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, cook the swede in salted boiling water for about 25 minutes or until soft when pierced with a sharp knife. Drain the swede in a colander, let steam for five minutes, then add to the roasted potatoes. Toss everything around in the tray coating the swede in oil. Lightly crush the vegetables but keeping them fairly chunky and whole. Return to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes.

HARISSA-BAKED HERITAGE LAMB STEAK WITH CHICKPEAS

Fiery flavours. Beautifully tender and flavoursome 7-Day Dry-Aged Suffolk Lamb Leg Steaks from Farmison pan-seared then slow-baked in the oven with tinned tomatoes, red onion, garlic, harissa, chillies, rosemary, lamb stock and chickpeas. Really satisfying and plenty of heat, how I like it. Bags of flavour so serve simply with steamed couscous.

Ingredients:

4 Farmison 7-Day Dry-Aged Suffolk Lamb Leg Steaks (approx. 250g each)

2 large red onions, finely sliced

4 large smoked garlic cloves, minced

4 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained

4 large red chillies, cut a small slit in them but keep them whole

2 tbsp harissa paste

extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried oregano

Maldon smoked sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/Gas 3½.

2. In a small bowl, mix the flour with the dried rosemary and oregano and some smoked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Pat dry the lamb with kitchen paper and allow to come to room temperature then dust with the flour mixture.

4. Heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large deep-sided frying pan over a moderate heat then brown the lamb on all sides until well caramelised – about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the lamb steaks from the pan then set aside.

5. Add the red onion to the pan and cook until soft for a couple of minutes. Add a little extra virgin olive oil to the pan if necessary.

6. Add the minced garlic and briefly cook until you can smell the garlic, don’t let it burn. Add the chillies then pour the tinned tomatoes into the pan and stir everything together.

7. Pour the lamb stock into the remains of what’s left in the tomato tins and swirl around then pour into the pan. Stir in the harissa paste and drained chickpeas followed by the rosemary.

8. Pour everything into a large roasting tray or ovenproof dish then add the lamb tucking it in so it’s mostly covered.

Pan-Fried Breast of Yorkshire Dales Grouse with a Port, Elderberry and Madeira Sauce, Bread Sauce, Watercress, Pickled Blackberries and Duck Fat-Fried Waffle-Cut Potato Crisps

Come the Glorious Twelfth when grouse is back in season, this is the plate of food I crave all year for. It’s usually the first thing I make as soon as I have any grouse to cook. I like to get it out of my system. I know where I am on the seasonal timeline as soon as I eat this dish. It’s a traditional classic.

This recipe serves four, one grouse per person. Remove the breasts from the grouse and refrigerate until needed. Save two carcasses for the sauce. Begin by making the game stock which is then used in a port and red wine stock for the sauce. As a self-taught cook, I learned how to make sauces like this from Marco Pierre White’s book ‘White Heat’. There are no shortcuts and you’ll need a lot of time and patience but the quality of the sauce you’re rewarded with is second to none. It really makes the dish. Once the sauce is made, the rest is plain sailing.

Many thanks to Farmison for supplying me with the beautifully-prepared grouse.

Serves 4.

Begin by making the stock for the sauce:

Game Stock

2kg game bones

2 large brown onions, peeled and chopped

2 medium red onions, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 sticks of celery, chopped

bouquet garni

8 juniper berries

4 litres of cold water

rapeseed oil

1.    Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Put the game bones in a roasting tray and roast for 20 to 30 minutes until the bones are well browned.

2.    Put the vegetables in a deep saucepan and brown them over a medium heat. Add the cold water and bring to the boil.

3.    Add the roasted game bones, juniper berries, bouquet garni and simmer for four hours over a low heat. If the liquid begins to evaporate quickly, add some boiling water. Skim the liquid from time to time.

4.    Pass the stock through a chinois then leave to cool for ten minutes.

5.    When the liquid has cooled, skim the fat from the surface.

6.    Put the stock into a clean pan and simmer until it’s reduced by half.

Port and Red Wine Stock

750ml red wine

750ml game stock

100ml port

50ml Madeira

50ml red wine vinegar

30g tomato purée

6 echalion shallots, peeled and chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced in half lengthways

1 sprig of lovage

1 sprig of parsley

1 sprig of thyme

25g clarified butter

1.    Cook the shallots and garlic in the clarified butter over a gentle heat until caramelised.

2.    Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar until the liquid has almost evaporated. Then add the Madeira and reduce until almost evaporated.

3.    Add the port and red wine and bring to the boil. Simmer until reduced by two thirds.

4.    Add the game stock, herbs and tomato purée and bring the pan back to the boil. Simmer for thirty minutes.

5.    Strain the liquid through a chinois. Strain the sauce again through muslin to remove any impurities.

Port, Elderberry and Madeira Sauce

2 grouse carcasses, chopped

60g elderberries, picked and washed

2 echalion shallots, peeled and chopped

1 small carrot, finely diced

½ stick of celery, finely diced

40 ml red wine vinegar

60ml Madeira

400ml port and red wine stock

1 sprig of thyme

1 small sprig of rosemary

25g clarified butter

1.    Brown the chopped grouse carcasses in the clarified butter over a high heat.

2.    Reduce the heat and add the chopped shallots, carrot and celery. Sweat the vegetables until soft but not browned.

3.    Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar until the liquid has almost evaporated.

4.    Add the Madeira and simmer for a few minutes until the liquid has slightly reduced.

5.    Add the port and red wine stock along with the elderberries and herbs and bring to the boil. Simmer for five minutes.

6.    Strain the sauce through a chinois. Strain the sauce again through muslin to remove any impurities. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

Pickled Blackberries

a small handful of blackberries or brambles

150g caster sugar

100ml white wine vinegar

1.    Put the caster sugar and vinegar in a pan over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for five minutes then remove from the heat. Cool the pickling liquid completely.

2.    Rinse the blackberries then place them on kitchen paper to soak up excess water. Put the blackberries in the pickling liquid and refrigerate until ready to use.

Bread Sauce

5 slices white bread, crusts removed and torn into small pieces

50g salted butter

200ml chicken stock

100ml semi-skimmed milk

1 small red onion

2 sprigs of thyme

1 small sprig of rosemary

1 bay leaf

4 cloves

fine salt, to taste

white pepper, to taste

nutmeg, freshly grated, to taste

1.    Melt the butter over a medium heat, add the shallots and sweat until translucent but not browned. Add the chicken stock followed by the herbs and bring to the boil.

2.    Add the milk and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, a pinch of salt and white pepper and remove the pan from the heat. Put the lid on the pan for the flavours to infuse for about ten minutes.

3.    Pour the contents of the fan through a chinois into a blender. With the blender running begin adding the torn pieces of bread until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Check the seasoning.

Duck Fat-Fried Waffle-Cut Potato Crisps

4 medium starchy potatoes (e.g. Maris Piper)

1kg duck fat

sea salt, to taste

Equipment required:

mandolin

deep-fat fryer

1.    Wash and peel the potatoes. Put them in a bowl of cold water.

2.    Set up a mandolin with the waffle blade in place and cutting depth to 2mm.

3.    Drain the potatoes then slice them using the mandolin rotating the potato at 90° to achieve the waffle cut.

4.    Put the potato slices into a bowl of cold water with a splash of milk (to prevent discolouration) until ready to fry.

5.    Heat the duck fat in the deep-fat fryer to 170°C.

6.    Drain the potato slices and pat them dry on kitchen paper.

7.    Deep fry the potato slices in batches until golden. The time is dependent on the size of the potato slice and temperature of the oil. Approx. 1 to 2 minutes.

8.    Put the potato crisps on kitchen paper to soak up excess fat, season with sea salt.

Pan-Fried Breast of Grouse

30g clarified butter

game seasoning

I make my own seasoning blend for game, it’s a mix of dried heather blossom, crushed juniper berries, Hebridean peat-smoked sea salt, dried orange and lemon peel, dried thyme and rosemary among other ingredients. It’s worth spending the time making your own seasoning blend if you plan on cooking plenty of game. It’s the small details that make a difference in flavour.

1.    Remove the grouse breasts from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Lightly season them on both sides.

2.    Put a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the clarified butter. When the butter is sizzling gently fry the grouse breasts for about two minutes on either side. Press the breasts down using a spatula to ensure the flesh makes contact with the pan. Spoon the butter over them as they cook.

3.    Transfer the breasts to a warm plate or carving board and allow to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

To serve:

Farmison & Co