Roast Cotswold venison with pear tatin and juniper berry jus

INGREDIENTS

(serves four)

For the sauerkraut (about 16 portions) 2 whole cabbages
1tbs juniper berries
Rock salt
Pepper
2 onions, sliced
3 large Bramley apples, quartered and skinned
Salt and pepper
200ml cider mill vinegar

For the pear tatin 2 pears
4 juniper berries
Sugar to taste
4 discs puff pastry
600g loin or fillet of venison meat
30g butter
30ml olive oil
200g potato purée
160g cooked spinach
120ml cranberry-flavoured jus
Chervil, to garnish

METHOD

To prepare the sauerkraut, separate the cabbage leaves and put in an earthenware pot with the juniper berries, rock salt, pepper and onions. Leave to ferment for two weeks in a cool, dry area with a weight on top. When the leaves are covered by liquid, remove and shred. Transfer to a clean, thick-bottomed pan and add the apples, seasoning and cider vinegar. Cook until vinegar is reduced. Cool and preserve in jars.

For the pear tatin, poach the pears in a light juniper berry stock syrup until tender. When cold, halve the pears, remove cores and place in a dish with a small amount of poaching liquid in the bottom. Put a disc of pastry on top and bake in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes.

Remove all the fat from the venison and sear in a hot pan with butter and olive oil. Turn the heat down and continue to cook on the stove until pink. Allow to rest, and slice. Add the juniper berry stock to the pan and reduce.

Warm the sauerkraut and put in centre of a plate. Add spinach and potato purée and fan the cooked sliced venison on top. Spoon over the jus and garnish with cranberry jus. Garnish with the chervil.