posted by Queen Bee 10-08-100 9:00 PM
Reader's Digest Cookbook
Saddle of Venison
For a special dinner occasion, venison is an excellent choice. The saddle should have been hung for a least three weeks to ensure a truly succulent roast. A saddle will serve eight people handsomely and the recipe is also suitable for a smaller roast.
Preparation time 25 minutes
Cooking time 2 3/4 hours
Ingredients (for 8-10)
1 saddle of venison (6-7 pounds)
2 carrots
1 Spanish onion
2 stalk celery
Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 bottle port
1 heaping tablespoon flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 heaping tablespoon red current jelly
Peel and chop the carrots, onion and celery Trim any gristle from the venison, wipe will with a cloth and season with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter and combine with the olive oil in a large roasting pan or sauté pan. Quickly brown the venison the remove. Reduce the heat.
Peel and crush the garlic, and add to the pan together with the bay leaves, thyme and chopped vegetables.
Cook for 5 minutes without coloring. Return the venison to the pan and cover with foil, making sure it is tightly sealed. Cook for 45 minutes on the bottom shelf of an oven preheated to 375°F (190°C, mark 5) then pour in the boiling stock, reseal and cook for 1 hour.
Remove the pan to the top of the stove, pour the port over the venison and heat until the juices are simmering, then return to the oven. Do not reseal, but cook for another hour, basting every 15 minutes or so. If the roast appears to be cooking too quickly, turn the heat down slightly for the last 30 minutes.
Transfer the venison to a dish and keep it hot in the warm oven while making the sauce.
Strain the liquid from the roasting pan into a saucepan and keep at a fast boil until reduced by half.
Meanwhile, combine the flour and butter to make a paste and use bits of this to thicken the reduced sauce, stirring continuously. Finally mix in the red currant jelly, and as soon as this has dissolved, season the sauce with salt and pepper if necessary.
Carve the roast and arrange the slices on a serving dish Pour some of the sauce over the meat and decorate it with sautéed onions, mushrooms caps and bread croutons.
Intructions for reducing fat and cholesterol: Although there is a certain amount of sugar in the port and the red currant jelly, it should cause too much worry among 8-10 people If you want to cut down you could replace the port with a sound red wine and use a puree of dried apricots instead of the jelly Venison itself is very lean and to avoid dryness in cooking it must be kept moist. This can be done however without adding the amount of butter and oil given and the fat and cholesterol content will be reduced to low. To achieve this, brown the meat in a heavy pan lightly brushed with a light oil and keep it moist by sealing it in with stock, as in the recipe. If wished , a cup of the wine can be added at this stage, as it helps tenderize the meat, thus shortening the cooking time and so reducing the risk of dryness. To thicken the sauce without using the butter and flour paste add some fresh red currants or cranberries approximately 1 cup and when they burst after simmering, liquidize the mixture in a blender with 1 tablespoon arrowroot which has been blended with water to a smooth paste. Reboil the mixture for 2-3 minutes and allow to cool slightly be for serving. Instead of serving the sautéed mushrooms and croutons simmer the mushrooms in 2-3 tablespoons for 5 minutes, Small boiled potatoes make a gluten-free alternative for the croutons