While sous vide might seem like a piece of equipment only found in the kitchens of the most keen home cooks, it's genuinely transformative for cooking game. This venison recipe showcases exactly why: the gentle cooking ensures your haunch will be succulent and tender throughout. Serve with herby salsa verde, crispy potatoes and seasonal veg for restaurant-quality dining at home.
Begin by setting up your sous vide machine, bringing the water bath up to 59°C.
Once pre-heated, simply submerge your vacuum-packed venison joint, cover the bath with a lid to maintain the temperature and leave the venison to cook for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, using a mandolin or sharp knife, slice the peeled potatoes into thin rounds. Cover them in cold water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Whilst the potatoes are soaking, you can prepare the salsa verde. Peel the garlic and pick the herb leaves from their stems before finely chopping and placing them in a bowl. Roughly chop the capers and anchovies, adding them to the bowl. Mix in the mustard, lemon and vinegar before slowly whisking in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
When the venison is nearly finished cooking, heat a medium saucepan to a high heat with the potato frying oil. Drain the potatoes and pat them dry. Test that the oil is hot enough by placing one potato slice in the oil. If it starts sizzling, the oil is ready to go. Fry the potato slices (in batches if needed) with a slotted spoon for around 1 to 1 ½ minutes.
Once removed, dry them using a paper towel, season with salt and cover with foil or place in a low temperature oven to keep warm.
Once cooked, remove the venison joint from the bath and its packaging. Pat dry using a paper towel and season with salt and leave to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Whilst resting, heat a frying pan on a high heat and add a knob of butter. Sear all sides of the haunch with some thyme or rosemary, continuously basting the joint with the herby butter. Once the venison has a nice brown crust, set it aside, ready to carve.
Serve the potatoes with any seasonal green vegetables of your choice and top with the sliced venison. Finish with a generous drizzle of salsa verde.
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