Name: Venison with pumpkin, blueberry jus & cavolo nero
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 clove garlic, peeled, finely sliced; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 200 g pumpkin, unpeeled, seeds removed, cut into big pieces; sea salt and white pepper; 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed; 200 g celeriac; 3 kg venison bones, or beef/chicken; 200 g beetroot, unpeeled, leaves and roots removed; 50 g blueberries; 2 bay leaves; 4 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped; ½ bottle port; 3 cloves, lightly crushed; 50 g butter; 1 tsp juniper berries, crushed; grating of nutmeg; 3 sticks celery, cut into a few pieces; ½ bottle red wine; sea salt and freshly ground pepper; ½ tsp grated horseradish; 1 chilli, deseeded, finely sliced; a handful of toasted hazelnuts; ½ tsp ground juniper; a few sprigs of thyme; 200 g cavolo nero; 30 g butter; thyme leaves; pinch of freshly grated nutmeg; 20 g butter

Preparation info

Serves
4-6

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

Glorious Game

By Ben Tish

Published 2019

About

Game is not really a big thing in Calabria where I come from, but I fell in love with venison, and all other game, when I moved to the UK over 20 years ago. Venison loin is one of my preferred cuts, and this recipe is a warming winter dish, and a beautiful Italian way of serving a very British meat. When in season, versions of this dish are available at all three of my London restaurants – Sartoria on Savile Row, Radici in Islington, and Fiume at Battersea Power Station.