Come on Deer, it's time for dinner

This recipe is one from my current favourite cook book from Abel and Cole.  Like all things, once I've followed a recipe to the letter I adjust it to suit our tastes or store cupboard contents.  I never used to like olives or stilton and I find it hard to believe how much I love them now ... and this recipe combines both.  We have cooked it for people who aren't so keen on the individual ingredients but still like the finished article, so give it a go:

Venison Fillet with Black Kale and Port, Stilton and Olive sauce  (serves 4)
Ingredients:
knob of butter for sauce and a couple of knobs for the kale
1/2 mug of shallots, peeled and thinly sliced, or onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 mug port
1 mug of beef stock
glug of olive oil
enough venison fillet for four people
a bag of black kale, or any other variety will do, washed and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 - 3/4 mug of crumbled stilton - add more or less to your liking
1/3 mug of pitted black olives, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh, chopped thyme

I love the quantities because they are so flexible.  How big is a mug? It doesn't matter as it will all be proportionate to your personal mug.  How much is a glug?  now that's a good one and you may need to buy their book for a glossary of glug versus dollop versus splash. The answer is that it really doesn't matter ... do whatever feels right!  This is my type of cooking.  I have substituted cavolo nero and greens on different occasions and even substitued venison for kangaroo or reindeer depending on what's in the freezer at the time.  If you are game this is a game dish to cook (excuse the pun!)

Method:

Heat a knob of butter in a heavy based saucepan over a medium heat and saute the shallots or onions for a couple of minutes.  Add the port and stock, bring it to the boil and then turn down to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until it has reduced by about half the amount.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C, 400 degrees F, Gas 6

While the sauce is reducing, heat a little oil in a very hot pan and sear the venison fillets on all sides to give them some good colour, then transfer to an ovenproof dish.  Cook for about 5-10 minutes in the oven until medium rare (overcooking will make them tough). Remove from the oven and let them rest on a warm plate for 5-10 minutes - the longer the better.

While the venison is resting, steam or boil the kale for 5 minutes until tender, drain it and put it back into the pot. Stir through the butter and give it a good seasoning before piling in stacks on warm plates. 

Drain any juice from the resting venison into the sauce. Remove from the heat, add the stilton, olives and thyme and stir through. Slice the venison fillets into finger width coins and plate up over the kale.  Spoon the sauce over and serve.

On this occasion we did not have kale so I substituted purple sprouting broccoli.  I also served it with potato mashed with wet garlic but you can do anything you fancy!  Make this your own, my deer! (sorry, just can't help myself)