VENISON STEAK WITH PRUNE SAUCE

Venison steaks prepared in this elegant, antiquated manner are deeply evocative of old Poland. Those refined olden days at the beginning of the last century: an airy, white dworek (small Polish manor house), a table decorated with wild flowers, white fabrics billowing in the warm breeze…

This rather romantic dish is incredibly simple to prepare. In the colder months, I would suggest serving it with a side of simple mashed potato and Beetroot purée, in the warmer months: local asparagus and new potatoes with dill would be an excellent accompaniment. {Serves 2}

35 g (1¼ oz/2½ tablespoons) unsalted butter

2 x 150 g (5 oz) venison steaks

2 x 150 g (5 oz) pitted prunes, quartered

250 ml (8 fl oz/1 cup) red wine

25 g (1 oz/2 tablespoons) plain (all-purpose) flour

salt and white pepper

ground black pepper

Melt a knob of the butter in frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat. Season the steaks with salt and black pepper. Add the venison steaks and fry for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan, cover and leave to rest for 10–12 minutes while you make the sauce.

Add the remaining butter to the same pan that you cooked the venison in: you want to make use of the venison juices which will give your sauce extra depth of flavour. Add the prunes and fry, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Add the wine and bring to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Add the flour while stirring to thicken the sauce. Cook for about 7–8 minutes, until the sauce has reduced. Season the sauce with salt and white pepper, then pour over the venison and serve with mashed potato.

{Time: 25 minutes, plus resting time}