Roasted best end of venison with salsify beignets and leaf spinach, peppered game sauce
Ingredients
Pasta, beignets and sauce (see below)
15g butter
120g spinach
Salt and pepper
4 x 200g 3-bone best ends of venison
For the pasta 125g "00" pasta flour
4 egg yolks
Drop of olive oil, salt
Optional: chlorophyll to colour
For the beignets 125g flour
200ml sparkling cider
Salt and pepper
2 egg whites
300g salsify, precooked in a blanc
Oil for frying
For the sauce 500g venison trimmings
Mirepoix
50ml Cognac
100ml red wine
Veal bones
500ml light veal stock
2g peppercorns, crushed
150ml double cream
32 soft green peppercorns
Salt and pepper
Method
For the pasta, combine all ingredients and roll very thinly on a pasta machine. Cut into strips 45cm long x 6cm wide. Poach and roll.
For the beignets, mix flour and cider together. Season. Whisk egg whites and fold into batter. Cut the salsify into batons, dip them into flour and then into batter. Deep-fry in oil at 180ºC.
For the sauce, in a pan, colour the venison trimmings with a mirepoix. Flame with Cognac. Deglaze with red wine. Leave to reduce, then cover bones with a light veal stock. Add some crushed peppercorns. Bring to boil. Skim.
Leave to cook for two hours, then pass and reduce. Add cream, then boil and slightly reduce. Add about eight soft green peppercorns per portion. Correct seasoning. If required, add a few twists of freshly milled pepper.
Melt 15g butter in a hot pan. Sauté spinach. Season. Drain well and reserve.
Season and seal the venison. Finish cooking in a hot oven. Do not overcook - the meat should be served pink.
Reheat pasta. Dress the beignets on to the spinach. Slice the venison into cutlets. Dress on the plate and pour sauce around.