Venison
Venison Cutlet and Root Veg Boulangère with Shredded Sprout Tops
A boulangère is like a gratin or a dauphinoise, where slices of potato are layered and baked in stock rather than cream. This provides excellent flavour without the extra calories. Leaving the skin on the vegetables gives you added flavour and vitamins; they just need a good scrub before cooking.
Cook's notes
Brussel sprouts: a vegetable with the power to divide a dinner table. We've used the tasty, edible leaf tops, which cook down like spring greens. They also have a milder flavour than whole Brussels sprouts. You could use any other seasonal green as the side e.g. kale or cabbage.
Ingredients
- oil for frying and baking
- 1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 large or 2 small parsnips, scrubbed
- 400g potatoes, scrubbed
- 1 large rosemary sprig, leaves finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 250g veg or chicken stock
- 25g butter
- 2 venison cutlets
- 2 good handfuls of Brussels sprout tops, shredded
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
Method
-
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 220°C/Gas 7. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan. Gently fry the onion for 5 mins, until starting to soften but not browned. Stir in the garlic. Season and set aside.
-
Step 2
Slice the parsnips and potatoes into ½ cm thick discs.
-
Step 3
Mix the potatoes, parsnips, rosemary, bay, onion and garlic with 2 tbsp of oil in a large bowl. Season. Layer them in a casserole. Pour over the stock. Dot the butter over the top. Cover with foil. Bake on the highest oven shelf for 20 mins, until the potatoes and parsnips are tender. After 20 mins, remove the foil from the baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for a further 20 mins, until the top is golden.
-
Step 4
Season the venison cutlets. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Fry the venison for 2-3 mins on each side (we recommend serving the cutlets pink but cook for longer if you prefer). Remove from the heat to rest while you cook the sprout tops.
-
Step 5
Warm 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan. Add the sprout tops with 3 tbsp water. Cook over a low heat for 6-7 mins, stirring now and then, until just wilted. Stir in the remaining butter. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste. Serve with the venison and boulangère.