A savoury take on a classic tarte tatin makes a dazzling accompaniment to home-smoked venison.
For this recipe you will need a home smoker or a barbecue.
Ingredients
- For the venison
-
- 4 x 200g/7oz
venison fillet, fully trimmed - salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 75g/2¾oz
butter - 4 tbsp
olive oil - 1 banana
shallot, finely diced - 1 sprig
thyme, leaves picked - 200ml/7fl oz
red wine - 300ml/10fl oz reduced
beef stock - 2 tsp
redcurrant jelly
- 4 x 200g/7oz
- For the beetroot tarte tatin
-
- 150g/5½oz
caster sugar - 25g/1oz
butter - 10 pieces cooked whole baby
beetroot, halved - 500g/1lb 2oz ready-made all butter
puff pastry, rolled to 5mm/¼in thick - 200g/7oz
crème fraîche
- 150g/5½oz
Preparation method
-
Season the venison with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the smoker alight, or light a barbecue. When the coals have turned grey, sprinkle them with wet wood chips to generate smoke.
-
Heat a frying pan until hot, add 25g/1oz of the butter and two tablespoons of the oil and sear the venison on each side for 2-3 minutes until nearly cooked.
-
Remove the pan from the heat and turn the venison over a couple of times, basting with the pan juices. Place the venison in the home smoker, cover and turn off the heat. Leave for five minutes. Alternatively, place in a smoke-filled barbecue, but not over the coals, for five minutes. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, heat a frying pan until hot, add another 25g/1oz butter and the remaining oil, shallot and thyme and cook gently for 2-3 minutes until just softened.
-
Add the red wine and cook until reduced by half then add the beef stock and cook until reduced by half once more and slightly thickened.
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Finish with the last of the butter and the redcurrant jelly and check the seasoning.
-
For the beetroot tarte tatin, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
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Heat four small ovenproof blini pans until hot then divide the sugar and butter between them and cook until caramelised and slightly thickened.
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Divide the halves of beetroot among the blini pans, cut side down, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
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Cut out four circles of the pastry, each slightly larger than the circumference of the blini pans.
-
Cover each pan with a pastry round, pushing the edge down around the beetroot. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is golden-brown and cooked through.
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Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
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To serve, carefully turn the tartes out onto the plate, carve the venison into thick slices and place in a pile on top. Finish with a drizzle of sauce and a spoonful of crème fraîche.