- 4 x 200g/7oz venison fillet, fully trimmed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 75g/2¾oz butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 banana shallot, finely diced
- 1 sprig thyme, leaves picked
- 200ml/7fl oz red wine
- 300ml/10fl oz reduced beef stock
- 2 tsp redcurrant jelly
- 150g/5½oz caster sugar
- 25g/1oz butter
- 10 pieces cooked whole baby beetroot, halved
- 500g/1lb 2oz ready-made all butter puff pastry, rolled to 5mm/¼in thick
- 200g/7oz crème fraîche
- Season the venison with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the smoker alight, or light a barbecue. When the coals have turned grey, sprinkle them with wet wood chips to generate smoke.
- Heat a frying pan until hot, add 25g/1oz of the butter and two tablespoons of the oil and sear the venison on each side for 2-3 minutes until nearly cooked.
- Remove the pan from the heat and turn the venison over a couple of times, basting with the pan juices. Place the venison in the home smoker, cover and turn off the heat. Leave for five minutes. Alternatively, place in a smoke-filled barbecue, but not over the coals, for five minutes. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a frying pan until hot, add another 25g/1oz butter and the remaining oil, shallot and thyme and cook gently for 2-3 minutes until just softened.
- Add the red wine and cook until reduced by half then add the beef stock and cook until reduced by half once more and slightly thickened.
- Finish with the last of the butter and the redcurrant jelly and check the seasoning.
- For the beetroot tarte tatin, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Heat four small ovenproof blini pans until hot then divide the sugar and butter between them and cook until caramelised and slightly thickened.
- Divide the halves of beetroot among the blini pans, cut side down, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Cut out four circles of the pastry, each slightly larger than the circumference of the blini pans.
- Cover each pan with a pastry round, pushing the edge down around the beetroot. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is golden-brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- To serve, carefully turn the tartes out onto the plate, carve the venison into thick slices and place in a pile on top. Finish with a drizzle of sauce and a spoonful of crème fraîche.