Game Meat and Fish Recipes – Nichola Fletcher’s sliced venison steak with vegetable ribbons

Nichola Fletcher’s sliced venison steak with vegetable ribbons

Serves 4

You need a large frying pan for the vegetables, and cooking tongs are ideal to gently lift and turn them as they cook.  Use the leftover cores of the carrot and courgettes for soup, stews or stock.

Ingredients

600 – 800g (1¼–1¾lb) venison steak, thick cut

85g (3oz) smoked streaky bacon, snipped into pieces

2 large, thick carrots, peeled

2 slim leeks

2 courgettes

1 clove of garlic, chopped and crushed

1 tablesp finely chopped or sliced fresh ginger

Zest of ½ a lemon or lime

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

Handful of chopped parsley or coriander

Method

Gently fry the bacon until golden brown. Reserve and keep warm.

Cut the leeks into 15cm (6in) lengths. Discard any coarse outer and top leaves from the leeks, cut off the root, and slice the rest in four lengthways to produce fine strips rather than rings. Wash thoroughly to remove any grit, and pat dry. Using a potato peeler, slice off thin ribbons of carrot lengthways. Turn the carrot round as you slice, and continue for as long as you can make strips. Repeat this procedure with the courgette.

Sweat the leeks, garlic and ginger in oil over a low flame, turning them gently with tongs until they start to soften. Add the carrot and continue the cooking gently, again turning them carefully with tongs until the carrot becomes floppy, then add the courgette and lime zest. Cook and turn for a further minute or so, until the courgette starts to become translucent.  Be careful not over cook, or the ribbons will break up. Stir in the lemon or lime juice and keep it warm.

Fry the steaks in hot butter & oil for 1½ min per side to brown them; fry gently for 1½ min per cm (½ inch) thickness, and then remove from the pan to a board.  To serve, place the warm vegetables with their juices in a large warm dish or onto individual plates.  Slice the steak thinly and pile the slices on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle the bacon pieces on top along with the parsley/coriander. If the steak is too pink, return the slices to the warm pan and swirl them around quickly in the pan juices.

© Nichola Fletcher

www.nicholafletcher.com

Nichola Fletcher was awarded an MBE in 2014 for services to the venison industry. She has written ten books and teaches people about cutting, preparing and cooking venison, both at her home in Fife and at venues all over the country. Her latest book The Venison Bible has just been published and sells at only £4.99 – every home should have one!