Saddle of venison in seasonal spices with cranberry crullers

For four people.

The Venison:

Ingredients:

1kg venison
butter
salt and pepper

The Seasonal Spices:

60g black peppercorns
120 g pimento
60g juniper berries
30 g carraway
150 g coarsely grated coriander

Preparation:

Season the venison with salt and pepper, rub the seasoning into the meat then brown it in the butter. Place in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 8-10 mins. Take it out and leave it to stand for 6-8 minutes. Divide into four portions.

The Sauce:

Ingredients:

500g venison meat
oil
40g butter
200g shallots
150g onions
2 raw, grated potatoes
1/2 litre poultry or beef juice, or water
1/4 litre red wine or port

Preparation:

Cut the meat into small pieces and brown in the oil. Pour in the meat juices. Add the potatoes and simmer for approx. 2 hours. Pass the sauce through a sieve. Sauté the finely chopped onions and shallots in the butter, add the alcohol, then reduce the heat and mix into the other sauce.

For the cranberry crullers:

Ingredients:

20g yeast
50g butter
250g cooked and puréed potatoes
250g flour
2 eggs
salt
vanilla pods
sugar for taste
lukewarm milk
cranberry jam

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients and knead until the dough peels off the sides of the bowl. Cover the dough with a cloth, leave it to stand somewhere warm for 30 mins. Roll the dough flat and cut out 20g pieces. Shape then into small flat oval tarts, fill with a small portion of cranberry jam and close at either side. Place the crullers in small, greased and floured tins and bake in the oven for five minutes at 180 degrees celsius until brown.

For the black salsify:

Ingredients:

500g black salsify
butter
salt
sugar

Preparation:

Peel the black salsify (preferably with plastic gloves because the peel is very sticky) then simmer in salted water with the butter and a pinch of sugar.

The carmelised chestnuts:

Ingredients:

4 chestnuts
5 tablespoons sugar

Preparation:

Make crosses on the chestnuts, position on a tin try, dampen with water and cook at 160 degress Celsius until the crosses in the chesnut skin have opened up. Then peel the chesnuts. Caramelise the sugar and baste the chestnuts in the caramel until they are fully covered.

Finally, arrange the meat and black salsify and decorate with the chestnuts.

Bon appetite and Merry Christmas!