VENISON MEDALLIONS w/FRUIT & BEETS

By BobD

Ingredients

• 4 SERVINGS
• Medallions of Venison with a Mélange of Dried and Fresh Fruit with Pureed Pan-Roasted Beets and Pureed Sweet Potatoes
• • 1 medium onion, quartered
• • 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
• • 4 cups hearty red wine
• • 1 cup pus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• • 12 black peppercorns
• • 8 venison strip loin medallions, 1 inch thick, blotted dry
• • 1/4 cup duck and veal demi-glace
• • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• • 2 firm ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch dice
• • 4 tablespoons sugar
• • Pureed Pan-Roasted Beets and Pureed Sweet Potatoes (recipes follow)
• • Salt and pepper to taste
• • 1/2 ounce extra-bitter chocolate, finely grated
• • 8 each dried apricots and pitted prunes, softened in water if necessary, quartered
• • 2 tablespoons dried sour cherries, softened in water if necessary
• • Chervil or flat-leaf parsley sprigs, to garnish

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from dartagnan.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine onion, carrot, red wine, 1 cup of the wine vinegar, and the peppercorns in a flat nonreactive dish or resealable plastic bag. Add venison loin, cover or seal, and marinate for 1 hour. Remove medallions from marinade and set aside. Strain marinade into a nonreactive saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, and reduce to 1 cup liquid. Stir in demi-glace and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add pears and apples, and sprinkle on about 1 tablespoon sugar, turning to coat the fruit pieces. Add about 1 tablespoon of water and continue cooking until fruit of water and continue cooking until fruit is lightly caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside. Recipe may be done ahead to this point.

3. Prepare Pureed Pan-Roasted Beets and Pureed Sweet Potatoes.

4. Turn oven to warm. Blot venison dry on paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper.

5. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large heavy skillet (or 2 smaller pans) over high heat. Add venison and cook for about 2 minutes each side for medium rare. Do not crowd meat or it will steam. When cooked, transfer to a platter and keep warm in oven.

6. Discard almost all fat, and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar to pan. Cook over medium-high heat until caramelized, watching that it does not burn, about 1 minute. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar with the reduced marinade and stir into pan. Bring to a full boil, then reduce heat and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Stir in chocolate and fresh and dried fruits.

Arrange 2 medallions on each of 4 warmed dinner plates and spoon on sauce and fruits. Either pipe rosettes of vegetable purees onto plates or, using 2 large soup spoons, create oval mounds of each. Top with a sprig of chervil.


Ingredients for Pureed Pan-Roasted Beets

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
• 1 ½ pounds beets, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Pureed Pan-Roasted Beets

1. Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat.

2. Add onion rings and sweat until tender but not colored, 5 minutes. Add beets, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until beets are fully cooked.

3. Scrape into a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.Recipe may be made ahead and held over low heat or reheated over medium heat, stirring often.


Ingredients for Pureed Sweet Potatoes

• ½ cup honey
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• Juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Pureed Sweet Potatoes

1. Lightly caramelize honey in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, turning to cover potatoes with honey. Stir in fruit juices, cover pan, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring often, until potatoes are completely tender, 13 to 15 minutes.
2. Scrape mixture into a food processor. With motor running, add butter through feed tube. Season with salt and pepper. Recipe may be made ahead and held over low heat or reheated over medium heat, stirring often.