Roasted Venison Haunch with Caucasian Honey and Walnuts
A piece of game roasted over coals, lacquered with mountain honey and crusted with crushed walnuts. This is the showpiece of the Colchian court, where the sweetness of honey and the richness of walnut proclaim the wealth of a land the Greeks believed lay at the edge of the world.
A piece of game roasted over coals, lacquered with mountain honey and crusted with crushed walnuts. This is the showpiece of the Colchian court, where the sweetness of honey and the richness of walnut proclaim the wealth of a land the Greeks believed lay at the edge of the world.
When my father entertained beneath the gilded beams of Aia, they did not serve the fisherman's porridge, but the deer felled in the Caucasus forests. They turned it slowly over the embers, and with my own hand I poured over its flesh the thick honey the mountaineers brought us in sealed jars. Then they rolled it in crushed walnuts, that fruit of which my land is proudest. You see, stranger: at the table of a son of the Sun, even the meat must shine like gold.
- •Haunch of deer or roe deer — one piece for the company (noble meat)
- •Mountain honey — by the ladleful (glaze)
- •Walnuts — two handfuls, crushed (crust)
- •Wine — one cup (marinade)
- •Coriander seeds and wild thyme — a pinch (herb)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Roasted Venison Haunch with Caucasian Honey and Walnuts
A piece of game roasted over coals, lacquered with mountain honey and crusted with crushed walnuts. This is the showpiece of the Colchian court, where the sweetness of honey and the richness of walnut proclaim the wealth of a land the Greeks believed lay at the edge of the world.
Why this dish? Absyrtus is a prince, heir of Aeëtes, son of the Sun. At the feasts of the palace of Aia, game from the Caucasus forests was served, roasted and glazed with mountain honey—the display befitting the rank of a king's son who pursued the Golden Fleece and his fugitive sister.
When my father entertained beneath the gilded beams of Aia, they did not serve the fisherman's porridge, but the deer felled in the Caucasus forests. They turned it slowly over the embers, and with my own hand I poured over its flesh the thick honey the mountaineers brought us in sealed jars. Then they rolled it in crushed walnuts, that fruit of which my land is proudest. You see, stranger: at the table of a son of the Sun, even the meat must shine like gold.
Ingredients (period version)
- Haunch of deer or roe deer — one piece for the company (noble meat)
- Mountain honey — by the ladleful (glaze)
- Walnuts — two handfuls, crushed (crust)
- Wine — one cup (marinade)
- Coriander seeds and wild thyme — a pinch (herb)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Leg or haunch of venison (or duck leg as substitute) — 1.2 kg (noble meat)
- Mountain honey (chestnut or forest) — 4 tbsp (glaze)
- Walnut halves — 100 g (crust)
- Full-bodied red wine — 150 ml (marinade)
- Coriander seeds — 1 tsp (herb)
- Thyme — a few sprigs (herb)
- Salt and oil — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- The day before, rub the meat with salt, crushed coriander seeds, and thyme; pour over the wine and marinate in the refrigerator.
- Remove the meat 1 hour before cooking, pat dry, and sear on all sides in a little oil.
- Roast at 180°C (or over coals), basting regularly with the marinade juices, about 1 hour for rosy meat.
- Halfway through, generously brush with honey to glaze the surface.
- Coarsely crush the walnuts, press a crust onto the meat in the last 10 minutes.
- Rest for 10 minutes, slice, and drizzle with the honey-reduced pan juices.
How it was made : Heroic societies of the Mediterranean and Pontus roasted large game on spits over embers, reserving meat for occasions and the powerful. Honey served both as a preservative and a marker of prestige; walnuts, abundant in Colchis, were commonly used in rich preparations.
The contemporary twist : Serve sliced on a dark wooden board, warm honey on the side in a small golden bowl, and scattered toasted walnut pieces: the 'Golden Fleece roast'.
Sources : Homer, Iliad (game roasts at heroic feasts, cultural model) · Strabo, Geography, XI (natural riches of Colchis)
Absyrtos · Charactorium