- 16 thin slices pancetta
- 4 x 175g/6oz venison loin, fully trimmed, trimmings reserved
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- venison trimmings (from above)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrot, peeled cut in half lengthways, and chopped
- 1 juniper berry
- ½ stick celery, chopped
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1 litre/1¾pints red wine
- 2 litres/3½ pints chicken stock
- 50g/2oz 6 per cent dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 200g/7oz butternut squash, cut into 3-4mm thick small rectangles
- 75ml/3fl oz olive oil
- 1 thyme sprig
- 1 garlic clove, skin on, crushed
- 30g/1oz shallots, finely diced
- 2 salsify roots, washed, cut into equal-sized pieces
- 500ml/18floz full fat milk
- 25g/1oz butter
- 4 tbsp flatleaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 50g/2oz wild mushrooms
- 4 Brussels sprouts, base removed, outer leaves and very centre leaves discarded, and remaining leaves separated
- For the venison, preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Lay the pancetta slices out on a clean work surface. Roll the venison onto the pancetta, and tightly wrap it up.
- Heat a large ovenproof frying pan and fry the venison until golden-brown all over.
- Place in the oven and cook for 12-14 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
- Remove from the oven and leave to rest, covered in a warm place, for five minutes.
- For the venison jus, heat a high-sided frying pan until hot, add the olive oil and venison trimmings and cook for a couple of minutes until browned.
- Add the onion, carrot, juniper, celery and thyme.
- Cover the meat with the red wine and bring to the boil, then cook until the volume of red wine has reduced completely.
- Add one-fifth of the chicken stock and cook until very little of the liquid is left. Repeat this process with the chicken stock five times until it is all added.
- Pass the jus through a muslin cloth into a clean pan.
- Whisk in the dark chocolate and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Keep warm.
- For the vegetables, place the butternut squash in a frying pan with a tablespoon of the olive oil, plus the thyme and garlic. Cook for five minutes, or until just tender.
- Cook the salsify: poach it in a saucepan with the milk and shallot until soft, but still retaining a little bite. Remove from the pan and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Heat half of the butter and a dash of olive oil in a pan and fry the salsify until light golden-brown. Add the chopped parsley and garlic.
- Heat another frying pan, add the remaining butter and a splash more olive oil and fry the wild mushrooms for 1-2 minutes.
- Bring a small pan of salted water to the boil, add the Brussels sprout leaves and cook for one minute. Prepare a bowl of iced water. Drain the sprout leaves and refresh in the iced water. Drain again and pat dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.
- Toss the sprout leaves with the remaining olive oil, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- To serve, cut the venison into thick slices and place on each of four plates. Scatter some salsify and butternut squash around and on top. Drizzle with the sauce and garnish with the dressed sprout leaves.