VENISON with BLACKCURRANTS, KALE and BARLEY
The Essential Diabetes Cookbook
by Antony Thompson
Venison takes to red fruits perfectly. I've often seen it cooked with redcurrants but when I had it with blackcurrants, I thought, yes, this is really good.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb blackcurrants
• 1/2 cup robust red wine
• 4 venison loin or haunch steaks, about 5½ oz each
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely sliced
• 3/4 cup pearl barley
• 3 cups game or beef stock
• 2½ cups curly kale, coarse stems removed, shredded
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. In a food processor, blend half the blackcurrants with the wine until smooth, then pass through a sieve. Transfer to a large non-metallic dish and add the remaining blackcurrants and the venison steaks, cover, and leave to marinate overnight in the refrigerator, or for a minimum of two hours.
2. Before cooking the venison, heat half the olive oil in a saucepan and cook half the garlic, three quarters of the onion, and all the carrot for about 10 minutes until the vegetables start to color. Add the barley and stir well to mix in, then pour in just over three quarters of the stock, setting aside the remainder for the sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the kale and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, remove the venison from the marinade, wipe dry with paper towels, and reserve the marinade. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over high heat, sear the venison on both sides, then reduce the heat and cook for another 2 minutes on each side. Remove, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
4. In the pan used for cooking the venison, cook the remaining onion and garlic gently until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the marinade with the blackcurrants and boil over high heat until reduced by half, then add the remaining stock and continue boiling until reduced by a third. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
5. Spoon the barley and kale mix on to individual warmed plates, top with the venison, and spoon the sauce over the meat.
Variation: This recipe works very well with pork chops, turning them slightly gamey.
NUTRITION
Amount per portion: Energy 467 cals, Protein 45.7g, Fat 7.6g, Saturated fat 1.0g, Carbohydrate 53.8g. Total sugars 15.6g, Fiber 8.1g, Salt 1.54g, Sodium 606mg
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