Roast Venison Loin with Pommes Anna and Black Trumpet Mushrooms

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Warm the clarified butter with the rosemary, thyme, Espelette pepper and ½ teaspoon of salt.
3. Peel the potatoes and slice them 1–2 mm thick; do not rinse them, as the starch glues the layers together.
4. Brush the pan or tin generously with the herb butter.
5. Lay the potato slices in overlapping circles, brushing each layer with herb butter and scattering over a little Parmesan and pepper.
6. Press the layers down firmly, cover with buttered foil and bake for 45 minutes.
7. Remove the foil, press the cake down with a spatula, raise the oven to 200°C (400°F) and bake for 15–20 minutes more, until golden at the edges and tender when pierced.
8. For the sauce, melt the 15 g butter in the saucepan, add the sugar and cook for 1–2 minutes over medium-low heat, until lightly caramelised.
9. Add the shallot, carrot, mushrooms and garlic and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until well browned.
10. Add the thyme, bay leaf, juniper and wine and boil for 8–10 minutes, until reduced by two thirds.
11. Pour in the stock and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until about 150 ml is left.
12. Strain the sauce, pressing on the vegetables, and return it to the pan.
13. Off the heat, whisk in the chocolate until melted, then the cold butter; season with salt and keep warm without boiling.
14. If using dried mushrooms, soak them in warm water for 20 minutes and squeeze them dry.
15. Take the venison out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking, pat it dry and season it with salt and pepper.
16. Heat the oil in the heavy pan over high heat and sear the venison for 2 minutes per side.
17. Add the 20 g butter, lower the heat to medium and cook for 1–2 minutes more per side, spooning the butter over, until a thermometer reads 52–54°C (126–129°F); finish thick pieces in the oven for 3–4 minutes.
18. Rest the venison for 5 minutes.
19. Melt the 10 g butter in the second pan over high heat and fry the mushrooms for 3 minutes.
20. Add the garlic, parsley and chives, cook for 30 seconds and season with salt.
21. Turn out the pomme Anna and cut it into 4 wedges, or into rounds with the ring cutter.
22. Set the potato in the middle of each plate and lay the sliced venison on top.
23. Spoon over the sauce, arrange the mushrooms around and garnish with rocket.

1. Pomme Anna:
2. Clarified the butter then add chopped rosemary, thyme flower, salt and espelette in the butter.
3. Slice the potatoes very thin and process like a mille-feuilles (butter, potatoes, parmesan…).
4. Cook with foil around 45min at 180C°.
5. Cut it with a ring to give the circle shape.
6. Sauce:
7. Caramelize the meat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in preheated pan.
8. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar, and cook for 2 minutes on a medium-low heat.
9. Then add trimming venison and fry on each side until nice and brown.
10. Add all the vegetables.
11. Deglaze with the red wine. Reduce heat.
12. Pour in the chicken stock, and cook for 2 hours
13. Drain and reduce until you have a nice flavour and texture.
14. Venison:
15. Roast the venison in the pan with a little bit of butter around 4min and keep on the side for 5min.
16. Pan fry the black Trumpet mushrooms and at the end chopped with garlic, parsley and chives.
17. Serve:
18. Put the “Pomme Anna” in the middle of the plate.
19. Top with slices of venison fillet.
20. Spoon with sauce, and put around mushrooms.
21. Garnish with fresh arugula if desired.

The dish in the photograph was cooked by the restaurant for this story. Photo: Oleksandr Slyadnyev.