Pepper Crusted Venison Steak & Red Wine Jus
with Creamy Parsley Mash and Braised Fennel
This Pepper Crusted Venison Steak and Red Wine Jus is a luxurious dinner night option, made with premium ingredients for a real taste of luxury at home!
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
Ingredients
2
Venison Leg Steaks
450
Potatoes
1
Fennel
2
Spring Onion
½
Flat Leaf Parsley
28
Red Wine Stock Paste
(Contains Sulphites)
1
Black Peppercorns
30
Unsalted Butter
Nutritional information
Utensils
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Remove the steaks from your fridge to allow them to come up to room temperature. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 1/2 tsp salt for the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and chop into 2cm chunks. Cut the fennel in half lengthways, remove the triangle root in the middle, then chop into roughly 2cm wide wedges.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. When hot, add the fennel and season with salt and a pinch of sugar (if you have any). Fry, turning occasionally, until starting to brown all over, 4-5 mins. Meanwhile, boil a full kettle. Trim and thinly slice the spring onions. Finely chop the parsley (stalks and all).
When the fennel is browned, transfer it to an ovenproof dish. Add half the red wine stock paste and pour in enough hot water from your kettle to cover the fennel about halfway up. Use a fork to whisk in the stock. When the oven is hot, cook on the top shelf until the fennel is soft, 20-25 mins. Meanwhile, add the potatoes to the pan of boiling water and cook until you can easily slip a knife through them, 12-15 mins. Once cooked, drain in a colander then return to the pan off the heat.
While the fennel and potatoes cook, crush the peppercorns in the unopened sachet using a rolling pin. Tip the crushed peppercorns onto a plate, then lay the venison steaks into it. Turn the steaks in the pepper until evenly coated, pressing down firmly to ensure it sticks. TIP: Brush off some pepper if needed - it has some heat. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands and equipment after handling raw meat. Wipe out the (now empty) fennel pan and put on high heat with a drizzle of oil.
When hot, lay the venison into the pan and brown the meat for 1 min on all sides. Lower the heat slightly and cook for another 1 min on each side. TIP: Venison is best served rare but if you like it more well done, cook for another 2 mins on each side. IMPORTANT: The venison is safe to eat when the outside is browned. Once cooked, rest the steaks on a board loosely covered with foil. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fennel to a bowl (cover with foil), then pour the fennel liquid into the (now empty) pan. Return to medium heat, stir in the remaining red wine stock paste, then bring to the boil. Simmer until thick and glossy, 2-3 mins. TIP: Add a splash of water if you feel it needs it.
While the sauce thickens, add the butter to the cooked potatoes and mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir through the spring onions and parsley. Slice the venison steaks into 5 pieces and plate up with the mash and braised fennel alongside. Spoon over the red wine jus to finish. Enjoy!
