flipRoast Venison with Juniper, Grand Table Style
Roast Venison with Juniper, Grand Table Style
Why this dish? Gluck triumphed at the Burgtheater in Vienna and dined in aristocratic circles where game reigned. Renowned for his love of good food, he enjoyed these generous roasts that crowned banquets after a premiere.
A cut of venison married with juniper and caraway, slowly roasted and coated in a dark wine-laced sauce. The prestige dish that occupies the center of the table on a festive evening.
When I have made an entire hall weep with my Orfeo, believe me, one does not leave the theatre to content oneself with a crust! They would bring me a fine quarter of venison, studded with juniper berries, browned gently by the fire. I tell you plainly: I have always loved the table as much as the stage, and too bad for my physician who scolded me. Roast it patiently, baste it often with its own juice, and serve it very hot, for a cold roast is a sad thing, like an opera without passion.
- •Quarter of venison — a fine piece (noble game meat)
- •Juniper berries — a handful (resinous, woody fragrance)
- •Caraway seeds — a generous pinch (signature Central European spice)
- •Lard — a few barding strips (fat for larding and basting)
- •Red wine — a large glass (deglazing the sauce)
- •Onions — two (aromatic base)
Roast Venison with Juniper, Grand Table Style
A cut of venison married with juniper and caraway, slowly roasted and coated in a dark wine-laced sauce. The prestige dish that occupies the center of the table on a festive evening.
Why this dish? Gluck triumphed at the Burgtheater in Vienna and dined in aristocratic circles where game reigned. Renowned for his love of good food, he enjoyed these generous roasts that crowned banquets after a premiere.
When I have made an entire hall weep with my Orfeo, believe me, one does not leave the theatre to content oneself with a crust! They would bring me a fine quarter of venison, studded with juniper berries, browned gently by the fire. I tell you plainly: I have always loved the table as much as the stage, and too bad for my physician who scolded me. Roast it patiently, baste it often with its own juice, and serve it very hot, for a cold roast is a sad thing, like an opera without passion.
Ingredients (period version)
- Quarter of venison — a fine piece (noble game meat)
- Juniper berries — a handful (resinous, woody fragrance)
- Caraway seeds — a generous pinch (signature Central European spice)
- Lard — a few barding strips (fat for larding and basting)
- Red wine — a large glass (deglazing the sauce)
- Onions — two (aromatic base)
Ingredients
- Venison roast (leg or boned shoulder) — 1.2 kg (main meat)
- Juniper berries — 12 berries, crushed (marinade and flavor)
- Caraway seeds — 1 tsp (signature spice)
- Smoked bacon in thin slices — 100 g (to bard the meat)
- Full-bodied red wine — 250 ml (sauce)
- Onions — 2 (base)
- Butter — 40 g (cooking)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- The day before, rub the meat with crushed juniper, caraway, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate.
- Bard the roast with bacon slices and tie it.
- Sear the meat on all sides in butter, then add sliced onions.
- Roast at 160°C for about 1 hour, basting often with the cooking juices.
- Remove the meat and let it rest under aluminum foil.
- Deglaze the pan with red wine, scrape up the browned bits, and reduce to a dark sauce.
- Slice the roast and coat with the hot sauce.
How it was made : On grand 18th-century tables, roasted game was a high-status dish: the meat was larded with bacon to prevent drying on the spit, and flavored with juniper, abundant in Central European forests. The sauce was based on juices and wine, without the light French roux for more rustic versions.
The contemporary twist : Serve in thin slices on a celery root purée with a few warm lingonberries: the tart touch echoes modern game cookery.
Sources : Conrad Hagger, Neues Saltzburgisches Koch-Buch, 1719
Christoph Willibald Gluck · Charactorium
