Fillet of venison with couscous

Feb 15 2008 by Bill Oldfield, The Journal

(serves two)

THIS recipe is for fillet of venison, a meat that fulfills modern health food criteria but needs treating carefully to avoid it being tough or dry.

Buy it from butchers that guarantee it’s local or from a farm shop or farmers’ market. It helps if you can plan this meal a day ahead to allow the venison to marinate for a good 24 hours, although a few hours will do.

Couscous is a staple in many North African countries. It is a coarsely ground semolina pasta, but because of its size and shape is often considered a grain. It can be used instead of rice or pasta in many recipes, but is quicker to prepare, often by steaming it in a sieve over the main dish, such as a casserole.

INGREDIENTS

Two 200g venison fillets or loins or haunch) – marinate in a mixture of a cupful of red wine, a sprig each of thyme and rosemary and a crushed garlic clove for at least a few hours or preferably a whole day, turning occasionally

One red pepper – seeded and diced

Two shallots – peeled and diced

½ a red onion – peeled and diced

75g of couscous

Up to ½ litre vegetable stock, white wine or even water

One pomegranate – halved and the seed capsules removed to use

½ a tin of mixed beans

A handful of chopped chives

A little vegetable oil and butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

In a large saucepan, sauté the red pepper, shallots and red onion in a little butter and oil until soft, without allowing to brown. Stir in the couscous and enough stock, wine or water to cover. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and cover with a lid.

While the vegetables are sautéing, remove the venison from the marinade and lightly season with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan, add a little oil and fry the fillets both sides over a medium heat. A medium rare fillet will take around 15 minutes and a medium to well-done one will take up to 25 minutes. However, aim for them to be on the underdone side. Remove from the heat and cover the pan for around five minutes to allow the meat to rest.

While the fillets are resting, add the beans and pomegranate seeds to the couscous mix and gently warm through, adding the chives at the end. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Remove the venison to a chopping board, return the pan to the heat and add a little water to the juices, approximately doubling it. Bring to a boil and add a few dices of butter, shaking the pan while they melt in order to slightly thicken and give a shine to the juices.

To serve, slice the venison, pile the couscous mix in the centre of warmed plates, lay the meat on top and spoon the juices around.

Recipe are taken from Oldfields Restaurants cookbook, Passion for Real Food, out now and available in good bookshops. For discounted copies contact us on (0191) 370-9595 or go to www.oldfieldsrestaurants.com