|
Venison in Peppercorn Sauce with Cabbage Rolls
Chocolate peppercorn sauce
1 1/2 t unsalted butter
1/2 c peeled and finely chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 t sherry vinegar
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 t whole black peppercorns
1/2 t whole red peppercorns
1/2 t whole green peppercorns
3/4 c Pinot Noir
2 c unsalted beef broth
1 ounce dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa), chopped
Salt
Cabbage rolls
8 c water
1 T sea salt
1/2 head cabbage
1/3 c bacon, cut in small dice
1/2 c peeled and diced celery root
1/2 medium Bartlett pear, peeled, cut in small dice
Salt
Venison
1 pound venison loin
8-10 strips bacon
Cocoa powder, for garnish
For sauce, put butter in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a simmer and add the shallots and garlic and cook shallots to golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add sherry vinegar, thyme, bay leaf and all peppercorns and reduce over medium heat until vinegar has evaporated. When dry, add the Pinot Noir and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, add beef broth and reduce over medium heat until the sauce once again coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, stirring until completely incorporated. Strain adjust with salt and reserve to reheat over low heat when venison is complete.
For the cabbage rolls, bring the water and salt to a boil, carefully peel cabbage leaf by leaf until you have four complete leaves. Blanch them in the boiling salt water for a few minutes until tender, then immediately put in ice water to stop the cooking. Remove from and set aside.
In a saute pan, brown the bacon, addd celery root and saute for a few minutes, then add the pear. Cook over medium low heat until celery root and pear are cooked through, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning, strain excess bacon fat and reserve. Set aside mixture.
To assemble the cabbage rolls, place a leaf flat on the countertop, then put 2-3 T of the bacon mixture near the bottom of the leaf, closest to you. Fold the end closest to you up and over the mixture. Fold the left and right sides of the leaf toward the center and continue rolling away from you until the roll is complete. Continue to make three more rolls. Set aside rolls in an ovenproof casserole.
For the venison: Preheat oven to 350°. Remove any silver skin on the venison. Start at one end of the loin and wrap a strip of bacon around the loin, continue wrapping the loin with additional strips of bacon overlapping as you move toward the opposite end of the loin until the entire loin is well wrapped with bacon.
Heat a large ovenproof saute pan to medium heat. Sear each side of the bacon wrapped venison until bacon is crisp. After searing the venison, place in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Remove venison from oven and place venison loin on a cutting board and allow meat to rest for 3 minutes before slicing.
Reheat the sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally. Place the cabbage rolls in the oven for 5-8 minutes. Gently slice the venison into 2 ounce slices and sprinkle with cocoa powder. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce around the venison. Serve each portion with a cabbage roll. Serves 4.
|
