Being a chef, the game season is eagerly anticipated and it kicks off in August with grouse being in season, followed by partridge and ducks in September and pheasants in October through to February 1st. In my opinion there is really nothing to touch the flavour of a roasted young grouse. I do stress that for roasting game you need a young bird and therein can lie a problem.
When game is ‘in feather’ there are one or two relatively easy ways to establish whether the bird is young or not. If you lift a hen game bird by the lower beak and it breaks then you have a young bird. A young cock pheasant has very short rounded spurs on its legs – while a real old grand daddy of a bird has very long and sharp spurs. To be honest once the bird has been plucked it is quite difficult to tell old from young and its best to ask as much as you can from the butcher or game dealer. The flesh on a young bird should be firm and plump.
Back to cooking. I started off by saying that as far as I was concerned there is no better way to cook a young bird than to roast it and this holds true whether it is grouse, pheasant or partridge, I like to cover the breast of the birds with bacon and sit them on a trivet in a roasting tin with the giblets and innards lying in the bottom of the roasting tin, this will all help to make a rich gamey gravy and roast for about 25 minutes for grouse and partridge and 15 minutes longer for the pheasants depending on the size at 200c.
The traditional accompaniments to roast game are in my opinion still the best, gravy made from the pan juices, bread sauce, fried breadcrumbs and maybe some game chips and lastly carved thinly at the table. If however you are not sure of the age of your bird then I would recommend that it is browned all over and then wrapped in bacon and very slowly casseroled to ensure the meat is tender. However you cook your game remember to use the carcasses to make a stock for soups or gravies later on. If you are lucky enough to be given or get hold of a brace of English (grey legged) partridge, then treat them with due reverence, they are difficult to come by and have a very delicate flavour. Some say they are best roasted and then eaten cold with brown bread and butter.
Finally to ground game, hare can be excellent and is best ‘jugged’ but it does have a fairly strong and distinctive smell when cooking and like wise is very gutsy in flavour. Venison from deer is the most commonly used ground game and that is why I have chosen this month to feature this recipe for loin of venison en croute. I always ask for a saddle cut from either a roe or fallow deer, as I believe the meat will be more tender and not quite so ‘gamey’ as the must larger red deer. Again this is down to personal preference and availability.
Chef-proprietor of Morston Hall with his wife Tracy, Galton Blackiston sources superb local produce for their charming Michelin starred country house hotel-restaurant. Pick up one of Galton’s cookery books. Morston Hall, Morston near Holt. T: 01263 741041 W: morstonhall.com
LOIN OF VENISON EN CROUTE (serves 4)
For Mushroom Duxelle
INGREDIENTS
50g salted butter
1 medium sized onion (finely chopped)
1 large fennel bulb (finely chopped in a food processor)
350g field mushrooms (finely chopped)
150ml red wine
150ml double cream
Sea salt and black peppermill
METHOD
Place the butter in a pan to melt on a medium heat, then add the onion. Cook without colouring until soft, then add in the fennel and mushroom together and continue cooking, turning up the heat fairly high. The mushrooms will produce quite a lot of liquid so when most of the juice has evaporated, add in the red wine and continue to reduce the liquid until the pan is almost dry. Finally add the cream and season to taste. Continue cooking until you have a fairly thick mixture. Allow to cool before use.
For Venison en Croute
INGREDIENTS
275g puff pastry
450g boneless venison loin, well trimmed
Sea salt & black peppermill
25g butter
1 egg, beaten
4 large parsley pancakes
6 tbsp of mushroom duxelles (see recipe)
METHOD
Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface into a rectangular shape (approx 25cm x 30cm). Place on a baking sheet and rest in the fridge. Season the venison well. Melt the butter in a hot frying pan and seal the venison loin until browned well all over. Remove from the pan and leave on a plate to rest and cool completely.
When ready to assemble, take the puff pastry from the fridge and lay on a lightly floured surface. Place two parsley pancakes on the top of the pastry so that they just about cover it. Place three tablespoons of mushroom paté in the centre of the pancakes and spread it in a line the same length as the sealed meat. Now lay the loin onto the paté and on top of this spread the remaining three tablespoons. Wrap the loin in the pancakes by enclosing the sides around the venison.
Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg and repeat the process of making a parcel by bringing the top and bottom over the top in turn. Fold in each side of the pastry to make a parcel, making sure that all the edges are sealed with beaten egg. Now turn the parcel over and place on a metal tray lined with greaseproof, leaving a smooth topped parcel with all the untidy edges hidden underneath. Brush completely with the egg wash. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 220c and cook for about 35 - 40 minutes until the pastry is golden all over. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Chefs Tip
Use your favourite pancake recipe, seasoning it well and adding lots of finely chopped parsley.
