Venison Salad with Apple, Celeriac and Hazelnuts
Tim Maddams
LATIN NAME
Red deer: Cervus elaphus. Roe deer: Capreolus capreolus. Sika deer: Cervus nippon. Fallow deer: Dama dama. Muntjac: Muntiacus reevesi. Chinese water deer: Hydropotes inermis
SEASONALITY
Different types available at different times of year but November–March is the most abundant time
MORE RECIPES
SOURCING
Venison is the meat of a deer. As there are six species of deer in Britain and the males and females have slightly varying flavours, this actually means 12 subtly different meats. There are only two indigenous species: the red and the roe. The former is the biggest of all the species, and an icon of the Scottish Highlands, though it is actually even more at home in lowland forests, where it grows larger owing to an easier life. The meat has a rich intensity, which I find pleasing as long as it’s been hung, cooked and served well, but it can be too strong for many – particularly if it is from a stag in rut.
The roe deer is also a creature of the woods, with a ghost-like ability to appear and vanish in silence. Its reclusive habits belie the fact that it is prevalent over almost all of the British Isles. The meat is among the best and most rewarding there is – rich and subtly gamey, with a mild ferrous note – and the carcass is an easy-to-manage size. Meat from a female roe is my very favourite venison.
The sika deer is the largest of the non-indigenous species and has the ability to cross-breed with the native red. Its meat has a rich complexity and is less lean than other types of venison due to the sika’s ability to put on fat. Many would say sika meat is even finer than roe. Fallow deer, though interlopers, have been resident in Britain for a very long time and are common over most of the country. Fallow venison does not have quite the same depth of flavour as sika or roe but it does carry a little bit of tasty fat, particularly in animals from park herds.
The remaining two species are both small deer, about the size of a large dog. The Chinese water deer is slightly the bigger of the two and gives excellent meat; the meat of the smaller muntjac is not quite as flavoursome but it is easier to get hold of. Both species are very recent incomers, being the progeny of escapees from parks and zoos, but the muntjac has colonised suburbia at an astonishing rate while the Chinese water deer is far more localised.
Some deer are truly wild and shot by trained hunters known as stalkers – or, more commonly these days, deer ‘managers’. Since deer lack any natural predators in the British Isles, stalking keeps their numbers in check, thereby protecting crops and indeed the health of the deer herd itself. There is a strong argument for wild venison being one of the most ethical meats available.
Other deer may be farmed in much the same way as sheep or cows, or ‘parked’ – contained within a specific place and then left to their own devices, with animals being periodically culled to provide meat. Only the larger deer species are suitable for farming or parking and so sika, red and fallow venison is often far easier to obtain than that from the smaller deer, and should be available from any decent butcher. If you’re after roe, Chinese water deer or muntjac – or any wild venison – you will need to go to a specialist game dealer. Wild meat, for me, just has the edge in the flavour stakes and, if I have the choice, I choose doe or hind (female) meat over stag or buck (male). It’s common for meat from male deer to have a stronger, more metallic taste. Also, males are often larger, making them a little tougher as their muscles have had to work harder.
All deer species in Britain, wild or otherwise, have hunting seasons to protect their breeding cycle. No single type of venison is available all year but there is always some in season. November to March is the best period, however, with a wide range available.
Many supermarkets now stock venison too, which is good news. It is a very low-fat meat, largely grass-fed, and even farmed venison is effectively free-range. Unfortunately, however, as demand rises, retailers are looking outside the UK to fill gaps in supply and increasing quantities are imported from as far afield as the Antipodes.
Venison is butchered into two legs – or ‘haunches’ – two shoulders, a saddle from the back of the animal and breasts from the rib cage. The trim, shoulders and breasts provide meat that’s good for longer cooking, while the saddle and haunches yield roasting joints and steaks. Venison offal can be good too, if extremely fresh – and the liver is the star of the show.
Venison carcasses are generally hung to develop flavour and tenderise the meat: 6–7 days in a chilled cold store is about right. Once butchered into basic cuts, venison can be hung further – perhaps a week – to really tenderise it. More time than that, or a higher temperature, and the meat can become too ‘high’ and gamey.
Cooking any venison requires care. It is very lean, particularly the saddle and haunch, and will be unforgiving if overcooked. The golden rule is to add some fat: that might be a good knob of butter when browning the meat, a handful of chopped fatty bacon when stewing, or some minced pork back fat if you’re making venison burgers. Make sure that venison is not fridge-cold when you start and, for best results from the leaner cuts, cook them hot and fast and allow the meat to rest well before serving. Success is more easily achieved with less complicated cuts, such as seamed-out haunch steaks or small roasting cuts, rather than whole roast haunches. The tougher cuts from the shoulder, breast and neck make excellent stewing meat for casseroles, curries or pies, and also mince well for burgers, sausages and ragu.
My favourite venison dish of all is the liver sliced and fried in butter then served with a little salad of wilted parsley, shallots and capers. I make a reduction of balsamic vinegar and stock, add the butter from the venison pan and trickle this over the lot.
VENISON SALAD WITH APPLE, CELERIAC AND HAZELNUTS
This beautifully coloured and textured autumnal salad is very simple to put together: everything is cooked in the same pan. Serves 2
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
150g peeled celeriac, cut into roughly 2cm chunks
A sprig of rosemary
2 small eating apples, such as Russets
150g venison loin, trimmed
A handful of hazelnuts (about 25g), lightly bashed
50g bitter leaves, such as radicchio or chicory
1 tsp thyme leaves
Sea salt and black pepper
FOR THE DRESSING
1 tsp English mustard
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil
Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the oil and, when hot, add the celeriac and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3–5 minutes, turning the celeriac regularly.
Meanwhile, quarter the apples, core them, then cut each quarter in half again. Season the venison loin all over.
Push the celeriac to one side of the pan. Add the venison and put the apple pieces next to it. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip both the venison and apple pieces over and cook for another 5 minutes. (Give the celeriac a little stir every now and then so it doesn’t catch.) This will give you medium-rare meat. Remove the venison to a board to rest.
Add the bashed hazelnuts to the pan and give it a good shake to mix everything. Cook for a few more minutes (the celeriac should still be a little al dente) then remove and allow to cool a little.
For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, shred the bitter leaves and arrange them over a large platter. Scatter over the warm celeriac, nuts and apples. Slice the venison thinly and arrange this on top. Sprinkle over the thyme then trickle over the mustardy dressing and serve.