Venison a la Plancha

Make the venison stock  Recipe  , you can do this the day before and keep in the fridge.

Make polenta according to the packet instructions using chicken stock rather than water. Spoon into a container and use a fork to spread it out with a depth of about half an inch. Allow to cool, then cut into two portion size slices per serving. Paint the slices on both sides with olive oil.

Make a gravy by adding a small glass of red wine to about a half pint of venison stock and reduce to about half. Season with salt and pepper. Mix a tablespoonful of corn flour with a tablespoonful of the reduced stock, then add it to the stock and thicken over a medium heat stirring from time to time. Put to one side.

Cut out the stem from the cavalo nero leaves and cut leaves into two inch or so pieces. Cook in a streamer for about five minutes. Take the seeds out of the chilli and cut into small pieces. Peel the garlic and chop into fine pieces. Put a few tablespoonfuls of olive oil into a bowl, add the chilli and garlic and stir in the cavalo nero.

Cut the venison fillet into slices about half inch thick  Picture  . Pain with olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper.

Fire up the plancha, put the polenta slices on the griddle, brown on both sides and keep warm  Picture  .

Put the venison fillet slices on the griddle and cook for about two minutes per side until the meat is nicely seared but pink (not rare) inside. Take out and keep warm.

Rewarm the gravy. Put the cavalo nero on to the griddle and heat through  Picture  . Arrange the polenta, venison,and cavalo nero on serving plates and spoon on some gravy and serve immediately  Zoom  .