Name: Shane Osborn: Roast venison with swede and potato gratin infused with pine nuts
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 50 gm butter; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 pieces venison strip loin (750gm each), trimmed of sinew; Swede and potato gratin; 120 gm (¾ cup) pine nuts; 500 ml (2 cups) milk; 100 ml heavy cream (45% milk fat); 6 garlic cloves, bruised; 2 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary; 3 large (1.3kg) sebago potatoes, thinly sliced on a mandolin; 3 large (1.2kg) swedes, thinly sliced on a mandolin; For greasing: butter

Shane Osborn: Roast venison with swede and potato gratin infused with pine nuts

Australian Gourmet Traveller French recipe for roast venison with swede and potato gratin infused with pine nuts by Shane Osborn.

Serves 8

Prep

20M

Cook

Total

2H 20M

“Venison should be cooked at a moderate temperature and served medium rare so that the meat doesn’t dry out. The gratin can be made a day or two in advance.”

Ingredients

50 gm butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 pieces venison strip loin (750gm each), trimmed of sinew

Swede and potato gratin

120 gm (¾ cup) pine nuts

500 ml (2 cups) milk

100 ml heavy cream (45% milk fat)

6 garlic cloves, bruised

2 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary

3 large (1.3kg) sebago potatoes, thinly sliced on a mandolin

3 large (1.2kg) swedes, thinly sliced on a mandolin

For greasing: butter

Method

Main

1.For swede and potato gratin, preheat oven to 180C. Scatter pine nuts evenly over a baking tray and roast until golden (4-5 minutes). Combine one-third of pine nuts with milk, cream, garlic and herbs in a large saucepan and cook over a very low heat until infused (20 minutes). Remove from heat, cover and stand for 30 minutes, then strain (discard solids). Place alternate layers of potato, swede and cream mixture in a buttered 2.5-litre-capacity ovenproof dish, seasoning to taste as you go and finishing with a layer of cream mixture. Cover with foil, bake until cooked through (1½-2 hours). Remove foil, cook until gratin is golden and liquid has evaporated (20-30 minutes). Set aside to rest for 20 minutes and keep warm.

2.Heat a large ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat, add butter and oil, and when foaming add venison, season to taste, cook until golden, turning once (1-2 minutes each side). Transfer to oven, roast to medium-rare (3-5 minutes), cover and rest 10 minutes.

3.Thickly slice venison, season to taste, scatter with remaining pine nuts and serve with swede and potato gratin.