Venison En Croûte

1. Peel and finely chop the shallots. Brush the mushrooms clean and dice them. If you have a food processor, you can blitz the mushrooms in that to chop them.

2. Season the venison fillet with salt and pepper. Set a large frying pan on high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and the venison. Sear the fillet for 1-2 mins on each side till browned. Lift out of the pan. Transfer to a board. Set aside.

3. Turn the heat under the pan to medium-low. Add 50g of the butter and the shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Fry for 5 mins, stirring often, till golden brown and glossy.

4. Add the diced mushrooms and the bouquet garni to the shallots. Fry for 10-15 mins, stirring often, till the mushrooms are tender and any liquids released have evaporated. Remove the bouquet garni. Set aside to cool a little.

5. Lay a sheet of cling film on your work surface. Arrange the prosciutto on top of it in a rectangle large enough to wrap around the venison. Make sure the prosciutto slices overlap each other and there aren’t any gaps.

6. Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the prosciutto. Place the venison fillet in the middle. Use the cling film to lift and draw the prosciutto over the venison. Roll it into a sausage shape. Twist the edges of the cling film together. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins-1 hr.

7. Crack the egg into a bowl. Beat it well.

8. Dust your work surface with flour. Roll one sheet of pastry out to make a rectangle large enough to sit the fillet on, approximately 25cm x 30cm. Place it on a baking paper-lined baking tray. Unwrap the venison and place it in the middle of the pastry sheet. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg. Roll out the second pastry block to a rectangle approximately 35cm x 40cm. Lay it over the top of the venison and use a fork to crimp the edges together. Trim away any excess pastry (keep this to make decorations). Chill for 1 hr. Keep any remaining beaten egg in the fridge for glazing the pastry later.

9. Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Take the Venison En Croûte out of the fridge 30 mins before you want to bake it. Use a small, sharp knife to make a couple of fine slashes in the top of the parcel. Brush the pastry all over with beaten egg and add decorative shapes cut out from the trimmings, if liked. Brush them with egg glaze too. Bake for 35 mins for medium-rare or 45 mins for well-done.

10. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Melt 50g butter in a pan. Add the cornflour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 mins to make a roux. Trickle in a little chicken stock and stir to combine. Repeat until all the stock has been added.

11. Pour in the red wine. Top up the pan with 250ml water. Add 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly. Season and bring to the boil. Once the gravy is boiling, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 mins till it has slightly thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

12. Take the venison out of the oven. Transfer to a board. Let it rest for 10 mins. Serve the Venison En Croûte with the reheated gravy and redcurrant jelly.

13. Get Ahead
Follow the recipe up until the end of step 6 and keep the Proscioutto wrapped venison fillet in the fridge for up to 24 hrs. You can then assemble the Venison En Croûte on the day that you want to serve it and keep it in the fridge up to 6 hrs before you want to bake it. Take it out of the fridge around 30 mins before baking.

14. Great Gravy
The red wine gravy to go with this dish should be thin and pourable. If you prefer a thicker gravy, mash 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp flour and slowly crumble this into the simmering pan of gravy, stirring well between each addition. When you get the thickness you want, stop adding the butter and flour mix.

15. Love Your Leftovers
Any leftover Venison En Croûte will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Or you can slice it and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight before reheating. You can warm the Venison En Croûte through in an oven set to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Pop on a baking tray and cover with foil. Heat for 15-20 mins or till piping hot in the middle.