Venison Daube With Cumin And Coriander Food

VENISON CHOPS WITH SHALLOTS AND CUMIN

Steps:

• Using a heavy skillet large enough to accommodate the rack of venison, fry the bacon. Drain strips on paper towel. Cut bacon in 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. Brush venison with some of the bacon fat. Leave 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan and discard the rest. Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cumin with the pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Rub the spices on the meat and let rest 1 hour. Cook the shallots in the remaining fat in the pan on medium heat until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove shallots from the pan and set aside.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Using the skillet or another pan big enough to hold the rack of venison, place the venison in the pan, bone side down, and roast 20 minutes. Test with an instant-read thermometer. It should register 115 degrees for medium rare to rare. If more doneness is desired, leave the venison in the oven another 5 minutes. But it will start to toughen if cooked more than medium rare.
• Remove venison from the pan and place on a cutting board to rest while you prepare the sauce. Lightly toast the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin in the pan. Add the stock and the wine. Whisk in the mustard and thyme. Cook on medium high until the liquid has reduced to a scant 1/2 cup, just about covering the bottom of the pan. Lower heat and whisk in the butter bit by bit. Add additional salt if desired. Stir in the reserved bacon and shallots.
• Slice the rack into individual chops between the bones and arrange on a platter. Spoon the sauce with the shallots and bacon over the meat and serve.

VENISON DAUBE WITH CUMIN AND CORIANDER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Cook bacon in heavy large pot over medium heat until fat has rendered and bacon is crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve pot with drippings.
• Sprinkle venison with salt and pepper. Dust with flour; toss to coat. Working in 3 batches, cook venison in bacon drippings over medium-high heat until browned, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer venison to bowl. Add oil, onion, and garlic to pot. Sauté over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Return venison with any accumulated juices to pot. Add coriander, cumin, and pepper. Stir 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to simmer. Cover and transfer to oven. Braise venison 45 minutes.
• Remove pot from oven; add wine, return to oven, and cook uncovered until sauce thickens slightly, about 40 minutes. (Daube can be made 2 days ahead. Refrigerate bacon. Cool daube slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm daube over medium-low heat before continuing.)
• Transfer daube to bowl; sprinkle with cilantro and reserved bacon.

SQUASH & VENISON TAGINE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan and heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the pumpkin pieces in another 1 tbsp oil and some seasoning, and put on a large baking tray lined with baking parchment. Roast the pumpkin for 30 mins until almost tender but not too soft. Meanwhile add the shallots to the pan, rolling around now and then, until golden. Scoop the shallots out and set aside.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan and brown the venison - you'll need to do this in batches so that you don't overcrowd the pan. Take your time, ensuring the meat has a nice dark-brown crust before you remove it from the pan - this will give the tagine a good rich flavour.
• While the meat browns, heat a frying pan and tip in the cumin, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and cloves. Warm the spices through, stirring them around from time to time, until they turn a shade darker and smell aromatic. Put the cinnamon stick to one side with the venison, and tip the remaining spices into the small bowl of a food processor or a mortar. Whizz or pound with a pestle to a powder. Add the coriander stalks, ginger, garlic, chilli and 1 tsp salt, and blend to a paste (you may have to add a little water if using a food processor).
• When all the venison pieces have been browned, return the meat to the pan with the cinnamon stick. Stir in the spice paste and sizzle for 1-2 mins, splashing in a little water if the paste starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the saffron and pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and leave to bubble over a gentle heat for 1 hr 30 mins, stirring occasionally.
• Add the browned shallots, prunes and pomegranate molasses to the tagine, increase the heat a little and bubble without a lid for 30 mins more, until the liquid has reduced and the tagine is rich and tasty. Season and stir in the pumpkin 10 mins before the tagine is finished cooking. Stir through the coriander leaves and serve with your favourite grain - bulghar wheat, quinoa or brown rice goes well - and a dollop of yogurt. Even better if cooled and served the next day. This tagine will last for up to 3 days in the fridge or can be frozen for 2 months.

SPICE-CRUSTED VENISON MEDALLIONS WITH JUNIPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Pulverize coriander seeds, cumin seeds, allspice, 1 teaspoon juniper berries and 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns in a spice grinder or mortar. Season venison with salt, and coat with ground spices. Set aside.
• Cook wine and stock together for 15 to 20 minutes, until reduced to a scant cup. Lightly crush remaining juniper berries and peppercorns, and add, with jam, brandy and gin. Simmer until jam melts. Strain through a fine sieve, and return to saucepan.
• Just before serving, heat grapeseed oil in a heavy skillet. Add venison and sauté over medium heat, turning to cook on all sides, until medium rare, about 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer will register about 125 degrees. Do not overcook. Keep heat moderate so spices do not burn. Remove from heat.
• Over low heat, swirl butter into sauce with a whisk. Transfer venison to plates, and spoon sauce around.