Try this dish in late summer or autumn, when British plums are sweet and full of flavour. Poached with cinnamon, cloves and juniper berries, they’re a heavenly accompaniment to tasty and tender wild venison loin, along with crunchy walnuts and fresh green salad leaves.
Make a dry marinade by crushing 2 cloves, ½ cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 3 peppercorns, 4 juniper berries and a teaspoon of salt in a pestle and mortar. Grid to a dust. Rub the venison with the mix and leave to marinade for at least an hour or overnight.
Pour the wine, sugar and spices into a pan and bring to the boil. Cut the plums in half, remove the stone and poach slowly for 20mins.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan on a medium heat. Add venison and cook until slightly coloured, turn the meat and do the same again. Place on an oven tray and cook for 8-10mins for rare or 12-14mins for medium. Remove from the oven and rest for 10mins before slicing thinly.
In the venison pan, add the balsamic vinegar and 3 tbsp of the plum juices. Scrape the juices and turn off the heat once reduced. This is the salad dressing.
Thank you to Game to Eat for sharing this recipe with us.
