BRAISED VENISON ON ROASTED PUMPKIN

Yield: 6-8

High in protein, rich in minerals, and containing 50 percent less fat than beef, venison is a healthy alternative to other red meats. Being lean, it adapts well to a slow braise. On-the-bone haunch, shoulder, and shank are the best cuts for pot-roasting, but a shin or a boneless shoulder is best for a stew.

Ingredients

BRAISED VENISON ON ROASTED PUMPKIN

2 cups (470 milliliters) red wine
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled, sliced
1 tablespoon whole juniper berries, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 bay leaf
Bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
3¼ pounds (1½ kilograms) venison off the bone
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, peeled, sliced
3 large carrots, peeled, sliced
2 celery stalks, trimmed, chopped
1¼ cups (295 milliliters) any stock
1 bouquet garni (a bay leaf and a few sprigs each of fresh flat-leaf parsley and thyme tied
in a bundle)
Roasted Squash Slices with Sage and Walnuts
A 1-inch / 2-centimeter strip of peel without pith of 1 orange, finely slivered, and its juice
1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
4 tablespoons (2 ounces / 50 grams) butter, chilled, cut into cubes

Roasted Squash Slices with Sage and Walnuts

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (4½ fluid ounces / 135 milliliters) maple syrup or honey
2 pounds different varieties of small and medium squash (such as acorn, delicata, or kabocha), scrubbed, or pumpkin, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon (½ ounce / 15 grams) fresh sage leaves, shredded
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as Fleur de Sel de Guérande or Maldon)
¾ cup (6 ounces / 175 grams) walnut halves

Instructions

Combine the wine, olive oil, onion, juniper berries, allspice, bay leaf, and parsley in a saucepan, and bring it to a boil.
When it’s cool, pour this marinade over the meat in a ceramic bowl. Leave in the fridge for 1 to 3 days, the longer the better, turning occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
Pat the meat dry with paper towels and bring it to room temperature. In a large casserole, heat the vegetable oil, and brown the meat all over; place it in a warm dish and set it aside.
Sauté the sliced vegetables gently for 5 to 6 minutes in the casserole, scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure they don’t stick.
Lay the meat on top of the vegetables. Add the marinade and stock, and push in the bouquet garni.
Cover the casserole, and roast in the oven for 2 hours, or until tender, basting occasionally.
When it is cooked, remove the venison to a cutting board. Sieve the liquid into a saucepan, discarding the vegetables and bouquet garni.
4. Thickly slice the meat, and arrange it on a warmed platter on a bed of roasted squash or pumpkin slices with sage and walnuts. Bring the reserved liquid to a boil in a saucepan to reduce it.
Add the orange juice, the peel, and redcurrant jelly, and stir to dissolve the jelly. Off the heat, add the cubed butter, whisking to incorporate each cube before adding the next. Ladle a little sauce over the venison slices, and serve the rest in a warm jug.
For the ROASTED SQUASH SLICES WITH SAGE AND WALNUTS:
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
Beat the oil and maple syrup together in a jug. Cut the unpeeled but scrubbed squashes into wedges 1 inch (2½ centimeters) wide. De-seed them, and spread them over a roasting pan.
Drizzle half the maple-syrup-and-oil mixture over the wedges, and toss them with clean hands to coat them thoroughly. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, till the wedges begin to soften, turning them halfway through.
Add the sage, salt, and walnuts to the remaining maple syrup and oil, whisk, and then spoon over the squash. Continue to roast for 10 to 12 minutes more, or until the squash just begins to caramelize.
NOTE: Thick wedges of peeled celeriac or parsnip can take the place of or be used in addition to the squash.