Venison with Blackberry Sauce
     
    Serves 4
    Prep time 10 minutes
    Cook time 30 minutes
     
    Ingredients
    ½ cup (100g) white sugar
    2 tbsp water
    ½ cup (120 ml) red wine vinegar
    5oz (150g) blackberries
    1 sprig thyme
    10oz (300g) thick venison steaks
    2 tbsp olive oil
    1oz (25g) unsalted butter
    7oz (200g) curly kale or spring greens
     
    Method
    1) Put the sugar and water in a small pan over a medium heat. Swirl the pan
    occasionally until boiling. Keep cooking as it browns, until you have a
    light-blond caramel (about 5 minutes).
    2) Blitz the blackberries in a food processor until well processed. Pass through
    a sieve to recover the juice. Discard the pulp and seeds.
    3) Add the vinegar to the caramel all at once. Mind your nose, as boiling
    vinegar is very painful even in Homid. Cook until the sugar is re-dissolved,
    about three minutes, then add the blackberry juice and thyme. Season,
    and cook until syrupy in texture, then remove from the heat.
    4) Heat the oil in a heavy-based skillet over a high flame. Season the venison
    steaks, then fry for a couple of minutes on each side for rare, 3 minutes
    per side for medium, 5 minutes for well done. Remove to a plate and
    rest for ten minutes.
    5) In another skillet, melt the butter. Stir-fry the kale until it begins to wilt.
    6) Slice the venison and plate with the kale. Warm the sauce if needed then
    pour over the meat.