Venison Farce Wellington

A true class on techniques! I’ll show you the best way to clean venison and we’ll use everything single gram. We’ll make a mousse wellington with a venison sauce, cepes and on the side a potato puree with a hazelnut crust.

The venison sauce

2 kg	venison bones
2	onions
1	leek
1 big	carrot
250 g	mushrooms (I use white button)
300 g	white wine
1 small bulb	garlic
3 sprigs	thyme
1 g	black peppercorns
1 g	coriander seeds

Spread the venison bones on a metal tray and toast them at 200 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes. You could also pan fry them, but in the oven you can a more even result. Toast them till golden brown. Meanwhile cut the onions in half and clean them. Then slice them in thin slices. Now also cut the leek in half and wash it well. The white part should already be clean, so focus on the green leaves. Then slice it in thin slices. After that cut the carrot in half and slice it as well. The final thing we need to cut is the mushrooms. I use button mushrooms.

Now add a drizzle of oil to a pan and start pan frying all the cut vegetables. Start on a high heat and turn it down once it starts to color. Scrape the bottom of the pan well and continue till your happy with the color. Once that’s the case deglaze the pan with the white wine. Reduce it for 90%. Meanwhile cut the garlic in half and add it to the pan. Also add the thyme, the black pepper and the coriander seeds. When the venison bones have a nice color add it to the pan as well and deglaze the tray with some water. Let this soak in the oven for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile submerge all the ingredients in the pan with water and add the flavored water from the tray. Let this simmer on a low heat for at least 12 hours. I left it simmering overnight and if needed add some more water. Just be sure the ingredients stay submerged. After that drain the sauce on a sieve and let it drip for at least 30 minutes so you don’t waste a single drop. Then reduce the sauce on a low simmer. While it’s reducing use a ladle to skim any fat and protein off the top. Once you’re happy with the flavor and thickness pass the sauce through a fine sauce sieve once more. Then keep it covered in your fridge for later.

The black mushroom powder

200 g	mushrooms
15 g	squid ink

We use this to cover the venison. First we need to dry some mushrooms. It doesn’t really matter which kind and you could even use dried mushrooms. I use some beautiful trumpet of death mushrooms that I had left over from another recipe. Just be sure that they’re very clean, so if needed wash them well. Spread 200 grams of the mushrooms on a silicon sheet and also add 15 grams of squid ink. Divide it evenly and then dry the mushroom and squid ink at 60 degrees Celsius. Once dry transfer everything into a blender and blend it into a fine powder. Then keep it dry and covered for later. I always use all my mushroom trimmings to dry them. No waste and so much flavor!

The potato puree

350 g	floury potatoes
200 g	butter
	milk

For this you need to use a floury potato. I use la ratte potatoes, but I love dore potatoes as well. First peel enough potatoes for 300 grams of cleaned potatoes. Then cut them in smaller even pieces. Now season some cold water with salt and submerge the potatoes. Cook this on a medium heat till the potatoes are fully cooked. Once cooked drain the water and let it steam-dry for at least 5 minutes. After draining directly weigh the potatoes. I had 250 grams. While the potato is steam drying start melting 200 grams of butter. Then press the potato through a fine sieve. Using a ladle will make this a lot easier. Then in two or three times while mixing add the melted warm butter. Mix it till it’s fully incorporated. Now because it’s such a buttery puree there’s a chance it will split. To fix this just add a splash of milk and mix it. If needed add some more till it’s a smooth and even puree. Then season it with white pepper and salt. Give it another mix and keep it covered in your fridge for later. Just look at that beautiful texture.

The hazelnut crust

90 g	hazelnuts
3 g	salt
20 g	breadcrumbs
40 g	butter

Later we use it to cover the potato puree. Begin by roasting the hazelnuts at 150 degrees Celsius for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once roasted let them cool down completely before weighing 75 grams in a blender. Blend it into a fine powder. Then add the salt with the breadcrumbs and the butter. Blend it for another couple of seconds. It’s needs to be a coarse paste. Now transfer it on a silicon sheet and spread it. Level it with a pallet knife and then freeze it till solid. Once frozen you can cut it with a big round cutter and then keep it covered in your freezer for later. I use a cutter that has the same size of the cups I’ll serve the potato puree in.

The shiitake cream

2	shallots
4 g	salt
2 cloves	garlic
300 g	shiitake mushrooms
200 g	vegetable broth
200 g	cream 35% fat
4 sprigs	thyme
	Xanthan gum
	Sherry vinegar
	Mushroom garum

First cut the shallots in half and clean them. Now slice them in thin slices. Then heat up a big frying pan and add a drizzle of oil. Start panfrying the shallots with the salt. Meanwhile also clean the cloves of garlic and slice them in thin slices. Add them to the pan. Once some color starts to form directly add the shiitake mushrooms and panfry it till the mushrooms have a beautiful color. I do this on a medium high heat. This is the color we’re looking for. Now deglaze the pan with the vegetable broth and also add the cream and the leaves from the sprigs of thyme. Let it reduce till almost all the liquid has evaporated. Then transfer everything into a blender and blend it till smooth. Once smooth add a knife tip of xanthan gum and blend it for another minute. This will prevent the cream from leaking once plated. The cream is quite fatty, so to balance this add a drizzle of sherry vinegar. Now to season it you could use salt, but I season it with mushroom garum. Just add a splash and blend it for another minute. Then transfer it into a bowl, cover it and keep it in your fridge for later.

The final garnish prep

The porcini mushrooms

We only want to double check them for any sand or bugs and peel the stems. For this just take a small knife and trim the outside. If needed you can also wash them in salted lukewarm water, but these where already super clean. Then cut them in half, transfer them on a tray and keep them covered in your fridge for later. Like I said before don’t throw the trimmings away. These are also great to make the mushroom powder.

The bundle

Begin by blanching some chives in boiling water. Do this for a couple seconds and then cool them down in your fridge or in ice water. Then take a small radicchio and cut it in 6. Also cut away the stem, the stem is quite bitter. Now lay a blanched chive on your cutting board and place some radicchio leaves in the middle. Also add some lovely herbs and flowers. I use watercress, sorrel, parsley, just anything delicious that is in season. Now wrap the bundle tightly with the chive and make a knot on the back. If needed trim the bottom and then keep it in your fridge for later.

The venison wellington

How to clean & prepare the venison

For this I use the back of a beautiful venison. Take a sharp boning knife and cut along the bones all the way down to the spine and the ribs. Gently press you knife on the bones to be sure you don’t waste any meat. Then cut the loin off and keep it aside. Now do the same on the other side of the back. And again be sure to put some pressure on the bones so you don’t waste anything. After that turn the venison around and carefully cut the small loins of the bones. These loins are pretty small and you can pan fry them, but I always keep them for a mousse or a farce.

Now use a spoon to scrape any meat of the bones. We’ll use these trimming for the farce and you’ll be surprised how much is still useable in the end. Keep these trimmings cold in your fridge. Now once the carcass is completely clean chop it in more manageable pieces and keep it in your freezer for the next time you make a venison sauce. Then clean you cutting board and begin cleaning the big loins by removing any tendons and membranes. Just take you time so you don’t waste any meat. Some tendons have some meat on the outside as well, just clean those too and keep them with the trimmings for the farce. Once clean cut the loins in half and then in half once more only this time lengthwise.

Now to pan fry the venison we first need to cover the portioned loins with the mushroom powder. Venison get’s grey quite fast, so I cover the outside with the powder and pan fry it only for a couple of seconds in a superhot pan. This to seal in the flavors and toast the powder. Maybe you noticed that I didn’t season the meat. This because the powder is already quite salty and it will replace the salt you normally use. Really just pan fry the venison for a couple of seconds all around and then take it out of the pan. Then cover your worktop with three layers of plastic wrap and make a stack from the venison. If you have any you could add some transglutaminase, also knowns as meat glue. This will insure a tight end result, but this is not a common household ingredient I choose to skip it this time. Now use the wrap to roll the venison into a tight roll. Use the sides to make it even tighter. Then while we make the farce you can keep it in ice water for later.

The base farce

500 g	venison trimmings
100 g	creme fraiche
75 g	egg
12 g	salt
225 g	cream 35% fat

Mix the venison trimmings with the crème fraiche, the egg and the salt. Be sure all ingredients are super cold and then blend it till smooth. In between you need to scrape the sides as well and keep an eye on the temperature. The friction will heat up the farce and you want to keep it as cold as possible. Once smooth while mixing add the cream and directly stop mixing when it’s incorporated. This to prevent it from splitting. Then transfer it into a bowl, cover it and keep it in your fridge for later.

The kale farce

150 g	kale
100 g	shiitake cream (the one we made before)
15 g	mustard
225 g	base farce

Begin by seasoning some boiling water with salt and blanch the kale for around a minute or two. Then cool it down in ice water for 5 minutes. After that squeeze all the water out of the kale and weigh 80 grams on a tray. Then transfer it into a blender and also add the shiitake cream we made before with the mustard. Now blend it till smooth. Then weigh 225 grams of the base farce in a bowl and add the kale puree. Gently fold it in till it’s an even farce, but don’t overmix it to prevent it from splitting. Now transfer it on a silicon sheet and spread it till it has a thickness of 6 millimeters. I do this with the help of a layer frame for the best result. Then cut the farce off the frame and remove it. Now freeze it till solid.

The bread farce

100 g	milk bread
75 g	gingerbread
100 g	egg
500 g	basic farce

Mix the milk bread with the gingerbread and the egg. Now blend it till smooth. Once smooth add the basic farce and blend it for another couple of seconds. Clean the sides in between and directly stop mixing to prevent it from splitting. Now to decorate the outside I use a wellington mold. This one is from MoldBrothers, a partner of the channel. Just add a little butter spray and then cover the entire mold with the farce. Then level the top and transfer the mold on an oven tray. Now cover the top of the farce with some plastic foil and steam the farce at 64 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes. Now let it cool down in your fridge.

How to assemble the wellington

Cover your worktop with 3 layers of the plastic wrap. Then turn the mold around and remove it. Be gentle to prevent it from breaking. After that lay it with the decorated side down on the wrap and place the frozen kale farce on top. Let it defrost before placing the venison roll in the middle. Now cover it as tight as possible with farce and the wrap. Make a knot on one side and roll it even tighter using the other side. Now keep it in your fridge for later.

How to finish the dish

First cook the wellington in a sous-vide or in a steam oven at 70 degrees Celsius. Place a core thermometer in the center of the wellington and cook it till it has a core temperature of 46 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile heat up the potato puree on a low heat and do the same with the shiitake cream. Then we can also pan fry the porcini mushrooms. Pour a drizzle of oil in a frying pan and start pan frying the mushrooms with the flat side down. Add some salt for seasoning and when they start to color add a couple cubes of butter with some sprigs of thyme and 2 cloves of garlic that are cut in half. Then turn the porcini’s around and based the top with the hot butter. Now turn off the heat, add some black pepper and take them out of the pan. Keep them in a heat draw so they stay hot. Then give the potato puree a final mix before filling your desired cup. Place the frozen hazelnut crust on top and keep it in the heat draw as well.

Now all the garnish is ready and the wellington is cooked, so take it out of the oven and heat it up till it’s 210 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile remove the plastic wrap and place the wellington with the open side down on a silicon sheet. Bake it for another 5 minutes in the oven. After that take it out of the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. While it’s resting place a nice quenelle of the shiitake cream on the side of a hot plate and place the porcini mushroom next to it. Then lay the bundle in between. Now once the wellington has rested for 15 minutes you can portion it to the desired size. As you can see the meat does fall apart a little bit without the meat glue, but if your gentle it still works great! Then serve the wellington next to the garnish and finish it on the table with the beautiful hot venison sauce.

The pairing

To pair with the venison I choose to go with a lovely red wine from Denis Durantou. The winery is from the Pomerel, a region in the Bordeaux in France. The wine is from 1999 and just a little younger than I am. Even though the wine maker is known for it’s full wines, Denis Durantou decided to make this lighter, more accessible wine. The combination of the Merlot grape with a little bit of Cabernet Franc gives the wine the perfect potation of balance and aging. And for only €65 it’s a great way to taste the charm of the Pomerol region.