Venison Recipe with Squash Puree and Beetroot Granola by Marcus Wareing

This venison recipe is a simplified version of one of my very popular restaurant dishes. The rich sauce, tender venison and sweet squash are perfectly paired with crunchy, nutty granola. This is perfect comfort food, made into an impressive dish for entertaining.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

– 4 tbsp vegetable oil
– 2 celery stalks, quartered
– 1 leek, white part only, quartered
– 1 carrot, quartered
– 2 bay leaves
– 2 star anise
– 10 juniper berries
– 4 cloves
– 200ml port
– 200ml red wine
– 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
– 2 tbsp black treacle
– 500ml veal or beef stock
– 500ml chicken stock
– 6 loin of venison portions
– Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Granola
– 100g oats
– 20g pumpkin seeds
– 25g sunflower seeds
– 50g pecan nuts, chopped
– 50g dried cranberries, roughly chopped
– 100g cooked beetroot
– 100g honey
– 2 tsp thyme leaves

Purée
– 1 tbsp vegetable oil
– 1 medium-large butternut squash, cut into 3cm thick pieces
– 4 sprigs of rosemary
– 50g butter

Method:

1. Heat a large ovenproof casserole over high heat and add half the oil, the celery, leek and carrot to the pan and lightly brown.
2. Stir in the bay leaves and spices, then pour in the port, red wine and vinegar. Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid by about a third.
3. Add the treacle and stocks. Return to the boil, then reduce the liquid to a thick, syrupy consistency. Strain through a sieve, season with salt and pepper and keep hot.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3.
5. For the beetroot granola put the oats, seeds, pecan nuts and cranberries in a mixing bowl and stir together.
6. Put the beetroot, honey and thyme in a blender and blitz to a smooth puree.
7. Mix into the dried oat mixture and tip onto a non-stick baking sheet.
8. Bake in the oven for 20–30 minutes until golden and crisp, turning on the tray a few times to ensure it cooks evenly.
9. Remove and leave to cool.
10. To make the squash puree, heat the oil in a roasting tray over medium heat, add the squash and fry until slightly coloured.
11. Season with salt and pepper and add the rosemary. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the squash is tender.
12. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Increase the heat and allow the butter to become a nutty brown in colour.
13. Transfer the soft squash to a blender, add the browned butter and blitz until smooth. Season and keep hot.
14. Heat the remaining oil in a non-stick pan over high heat.
15. Season the venison and brown in the pan on all sides. Finish off in the oven for 10 minutes. 16. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice. Serve the squash puree with the venison on top and the beetroot granola and reduced sauce.

Marcus Wareing is one of the most respected and acclaimed chefs in Britain today. Owning three restaurants, two being two Michelin-starred Marcus has a long list of awards, including Restaurateur of the Year and Young Chef of the Year. Marcus is also a judge on of MasterChef: The Professionals, where he can showcase his tips and tricks to contestants and viewers. Marcus at Home focuses on great flavours and his recipes will become favorites in you home. It contains food you can make in a rush or when you want to create a showstopping meal.

Marcus at Home by Marcus Wareing is published by Harper Collins Publishers and available to buy on Amazon.