We were sitting in George’s living room in Yorkshire talking about recipe names and our friend Simon came up with “Hash Stag.” We were sold and ran with it and that’s how this dish was born. Venison is quite an expensive meat but a real treat for a special occasion dinner or a romantic meal for two. Its rich, almost oaky flavor needs the sharp twang of a fruity sauce to balance it out and that’s what the blackberries in this recipe do perfectly. If you can forage for some berries that will save you a few quid...every little helps!
SERVES 2
For the blackberry sauce 
1 ounce (⅛ stick) butter
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
10 ounces fresh blackberries
3 teaspoons red currant jelly
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
½ cup dark chicken stock
For the hash
1 large potato, grated
1 red onion, finely sliced
2 scallions, finely sliced
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves finely chopped
1 ounce (⅛ stick) butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 x 8-ounce venison fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1. First make the sauce. Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and soften until translucent. Add the blackberries, red currant jelly, thyme and stock. Bring to the boil and cook to reduce the liquid by half, then pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Remove the blackberries from the sieve and return them to the strained liquid. Set aside until ready to serve.
2. Combine the potato, red onion, scallions and rosemary for the hash in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Leave for 5 minutes; this will draw some moisture out of the potatoes and onions, helping to achieve a crispy texture.
3. Transfer the potato and onion mix to a clean bowl, squeezing the excess liquid from the mixture with your hands as you go.
4. Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the squeezed potato mix, pressing down to spread it out and compact it. Cook for 5 minutes, then carefully lift up the hash with a spatula and check that the underside is golden brown. Carefully flip over and cook for a further 5 minutes on the other side.
5. Meanwhile cook the venison fillets. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat until smoking hot. Season the venison generously with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the pan, followed by the venison fillets. Cook for 4–5 minutes on each side for medium rare, 6–7 for medium. Remove the fillets from the pan and leave to rest for 3 minutes before serving.
6. To serve, slice the rested venison and place on top of the hash. Season the meat with a sprinkle of sea salt and spoon over the blackberry sauce.