Lavender Roasted Venison Sweet Potato Celeriac Puree And Sherry Vinegar Gastric Food

PAN-ROASTED VENISON WITH CREAMY BAKED POTATO AND CELERIAC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a large, shallow baking dish.
• Slice the potatoes and celeriac into disks just under 1-inch thick. Place the slices into a large pan, cover with cold water, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then drain in a colander and allow the vegetables to steam dry for a minute or so. Put back into the pan with the cream, chopped garlic, sage, half the Parmesan and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together, then tip into the buttered baking dish and spread out evenly. Pour any mixture left in the pan over the top. Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan, cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown.
• Combing the juniper berries and rosemary, add a pinch of salt and pepper, then sprinkle over a board. Rub the venison all over with olive oil before rolling it across the board and pressing it into the flavorings. Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat and add a glug of olive oil. Sear the venison for a couple of minutes on all sides, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the smashed garlic bulb and any leftover flavorings from the chopping board. Shake everything together, pour in a splash of water to cool things down and place in the oven. Cook according to your liking - about 8 minutes will give you medium venison.
• When the potatoes are cooked, take them out of the oven, remove the foil and sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until bubbling and golden.
• Take the venison out of the oven and let it rest on a plate, covered loosely with foil. Pour away any excess fat. Squash the garlic cloves with a fork and discard the skins. Mix the garlic with the herbs in the pan and place on the heat. Pour in the red wine, simmer until it has reduced by half and then add the butter. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the sticky meaty goodness from the bottom. As soon as the sauce comes together, take the pan off the heat, correct the seasoning and stir in another knob of butter. Carve the venison into desired-thickness. Pour any resting juices from the plate back into the pan, then pour your gravy through a sieve over the meat and serve with the potato and celeriac bake.

SHERYL CROW'S SHERRY VINEGAR GASTRIQUE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally as the mixture heats. Let the mixture boil for 10-12 minutes or until reduced by half.
• Reduce the heat to low so the vinegar simmers. Stir in the thyme, sage, bay leaf, rosemary, and peppercorns and let the gastrique simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
• Strain the gastrique into a glass bowl and let it cool to room temperature. At this point, the gastrique should be the consistency of light syrup, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon . Use right away or cover and store at room temperature for up to 10 days. Enjoy!

SWEET POTATO PUREE WITH BROWN SUGAR AND SHERRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce all potatoes in several places with a fork. Bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 55 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out potato pulp into a large bowl. Add butter and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Beat in Sherry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

SWEET POTATO PURéE WITH BROWN SUGAR AND SHERRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Pierce all sweet potatoes in several places with fork. Bake until tender when pierced with knife, about 55 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Using spoon, scoop potato pulp into large bowl. Add butter and brown sugar to potatoes. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Beat in Sherry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large saucepan. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Rewarm sweet potatoes over medium-low heat, stirring often.

POTATO AND CELERY ROOT PURéE

Steps:

• Place celery root and potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water; salt lightly. Boil until very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain vegetables, reserving 1/4 cup liquid. Return vegetables to same saucepan. Add cream and butter and mash until almost smooth. Season with celery salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover puree and cooking liquid separately and refrigerate. Stir puree over medium heat until heated through, adding reserved cooking liquid if mixture is dry.)