Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
* 250g loin of Curtis Pitts Deer Services venison, trimmed
* 2 thin crepes
* 400g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped in food processor
* 375g all butter puff pastry, the best you can buy
* 2 egg yolk to glaze
* 2 parsnips cut into batons
* ½ kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 3” cubes
* 50g butter
* 100ml milk
* 100ml cream
* A drop of truffle oil
* Shaved fresh truffle
* 85g/3oz butter
* 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
* 1 garlic clove, chopped and ground to paste
* 50ml/2fl oz Madeira
* 100ml/3½fl oz beef stock
* 1 tbsp of honey
METHOD
1. Dry the venison with kitchen paper, then season well. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and sear the meat all over for about 4 mins. Remove from pan and leave to cool, then chill for 20 mins. Reserve any juices for the sauce.
2. Cook the mushrooms for 10 mins in a dry non-stick frying pan until you have a paste-like mixture. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool
3. Overlap 2-3 sheets of cling film on a clean surface and lay the crepes, slightly overlapping, Spread the cooled mushroom paste in a big rectangle shape, the same size as the loin, creating a thin, even layer.
4. Place the fillet in the centre of the mushroom mixture. Using the edge of the cling film, carefully draw the layer of crepe and mushroom around the meat.
5. Roll into a sausage shape, tie ends of the cling film tightly, to form a tight log. Chill for 2hrs to firm up.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry to a rectangle big enough to wrap the venison, test this before unwrapping the cling film.
7. Carefully unwrap the venison and lay in the middle of the pastry
8. Fold over the bottom half of the pastry. Lightly brush the rest of the sheet with beaten egg.
9. Roll the whole thing around the meat to encase. Neatly fold under the shorter edges to create a parcel.
10. Brush the outside with egg yolk to glaze, score with a small knife or wrap a net of pastry over it if you have the special lattice cutter. Refrigerate for 2 hrs before cooking, but remove from the fridge for 30 minutes at room temp before cooking.
11. Place on parchment and bake on a preheated oven tray at 190 for 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
12. For the parsnips, cut into batons, drizzle with a little oil and season, roast in the oven at 190c for 20 minutes or until golden brown, add tablespoon of Bermondsey Street Bees Cotswold Summer Flower honey, and roast for another 3 minutes.
13. For the truffle mash, cook the potatoes in salted water until soft, do not boil hard. Drain, and mash until smooth, add the butter and beat well, add the milk and cream mix to desired consistency, season with truffle oil and grate fresh truffle over the top.
14. For the sauce, heat a frying pan and add 55g/2oz butter. Once hot add the diced shallot and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the Madeira, reduce to syrup then add the stock. Cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half and you have a thick sauce (homemade stock, or stock bought as liquid works best for this, rather than stock made from powder which is more watery).
15. Add a little butter to give the sauce a glossy finish.
BY RICHARD DAVIES, EXECUTIVE CHEF AT CALCOT & SPA
