Monday, May 08, 2006
Venison Sausages with Red Wine Gravy
This weekend, I spent a lot of time thinking of food, reading about food, buying food and watching cooking programs on TV. However, I did not really do much cooking myself. So, not surprisingly, I was quite keen on finally getting my hands dirty. And I felt incredibly inspired by all the posh cooks, so dinner had to be something challenging. But what? I searched for an idea by watching the starters course of the Wales edition of Great British Menus and simultaneously doing a bit of fridgestorming - standing in front of an open fridge, staring blankly into space and wrecking your brain. The end result sounded sufficiently poncy without running such risks as putting fruit with fish: Venison sausages with creamy mash and red wine gravy. Add to that some beet leaves, char grilled leeks and wild mushrooms and you have a sufficiently complicated dinner. My little addition of caramelised walnuts did not go down too well with food purist Lofty, but I must admit I quite liked it.For the sausages:
2 tbsp oil
2 venison sausages (beef sausages would work too)
For the mashed potatoes:
2 large floury potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 tbsp butter
a few spoonfuls of single cream or milk
salt and pepper to taste
For the char grilled leeks:
2 tbsp oil
4 small leeks, cleaned and trimmed
For the beet leaves:
1 tbsp butter
a handful of beet leaves (Swiss chard, red chard, bok choi or even spinach would work too; adjust the cooking time accordingly)
a few drops of water
For the gravy:
1 tbsp butter
½ red onion, chopped (white onion can be used)
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
150 ml red wine
150 ml chicken stock (alternatively use vegetable stock)
1 tbsp thick cream
salt to taste
For the mushrooms:
2 tbsp oil
2 handfuls (wild) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (I admit I cheated and mixed chanterelles, morel mushrooms and some little mushroom I'd never seen before with shiitakes and button mushrooms, but remember, the wilder the mushrooms, the tastier the dish)
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
For the caramelised nuts:
55g/2oz caster sugar
110g/4oz walnuts
a sheet of waxed paper
This dinner is quite complex and involves a lot of pan juggling. I have tried to give it in chronological order, but I recommend you read it completely before you start cooking. Start with the gravy and the mash. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook until soft, about 20 minutes. In the meantime, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add the onions, cover and sweat until golden, about 10 minutes.
For the caramelised walnuts, place the sugar into a small saucepan over medium heat, leave for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sugar begins to caramelise. Add the walnuts, shaking the pan to coat. When the nuts are completely covered in caramel, pull them out of the pan and dry on the waxed paper.
To continue the gravy, turn up the heat to medium, add the garlic to the onion and continue frying for another minute. Slowly pour in the wine and bring to the boil. Purée and return to the heat. Add the stock and simmer until thickened, about 10 more minutes.
When the potatoes have been boiling about 5 minutes, heat the oil for the sausages in a large frying pan. Add the sausages and fry them over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until nicely browned and cooked through.
At the same time, prepare the mushrooms. Heat the oil in a large shallow frying pan. Add the mushroom and fry until golden brown and tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
This is where it really gets tricky because now you will have to start juggling a few vegetable pans. For the beet leaves, heat the butter in a wok over medium heat. Add the leaves and a few drops of water. Stew, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
For the leeks, heat a griddle pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and grill until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and grill until completely browned and tender.
Just before you're ready to serve, stir the cream into the gravy and heat up again. Do not allow to boil. Drain the potatoes and mash with the butter until smooth. Stir in enough milk to make a smooth, creamy mash and season to taste with salt.
To serve, put a spoonful of mashed potatoes in the centre of a plate. Drizzle with gravy and arrange the vegetables and sausages around and on top of it. Scatter with mushrooms and dot with caramelised nuts. Serve with a little more gravy on the side.
Christine at 9:52 pm
