Jess Murphy's Venison with Pickled Blackberries & Horseradish Cream

Method

1. Whisk together the Buckfast, sriracha, vinegar and sugar, then stir in the garlic, ginger and seasoning. Add the venison steaks, cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.

2. To make the pickled blackberries, put the sugar and vinegar in a bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved, then add the blackberries. Cover the bowl and let it sit out overnight - at this time of year it’s usually cool enough to leave them out on your countertop. The next day, transfer to a clean jar and keep them in the fridge for up to two weeks to use with roasted meat or melty cheese.

3. To make the horseradish cream, whip your cream until it’s on the stiff side. (I love using raw cream for this - it adds a farmyard funk like a good butter would.) Stir in the grated horseradish, honey, mustard powder and a pinch of ground white pepper - you don’t want to over whip it at this point. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

4. Ideally, you want to cook the venison on a super-hot barbecue (we use a Japanese charcoal grill for this in Kai). Otherwise, you can pan-fry the steaks by heating the olive oil in a large frying pan, then adding the steaks and cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side. You have to remember that venison has no fat, so I cook it until it’s medium-rare, then let it rest for 15 minutes and use the pan juices as a dressing.

5. Serve with pickled blackberries and horseradish cream. A side of sweet potato mash and fried onions is never a bad idea. You could also pop this in a bowl with sticky rice and serve it with a fried egg. Or try it in a sandwich – there is room for all God’s creatures between two slices of bread.