Roast Balmoral Venison with Redcurrant Sauce
A seared then roasted venison fillet, pink in the middle, napped with a wine sauce of redcurrants: the dish of autumn evenings in the Highlands.
A seared then roasted venison fillet, pink in the middle, napped with a wine sauce of redcurrants: the dish of autumn evenings in the Highlands.
Balmoral is our true home, where we can finally breathe the Highland air. The game comes from our own moors — nothing pleases us more than a deer taken in season, roasted briefly so it remains pink. We serve it with a redcurrant sauce from our gardens, for the fruit's acidity lifts the meat just so. It is a simple meal, but it is, I believe, the most honest thing the table can offer.
- •Venison fillet (deer or roe deer) from Balmoral — one fine piece (meat)
- •Redcurrants — a good handful (tart sauce)
- •Red wine — a glass (deglazing)
- •Butter — a knob (cooking and binding)
- •Juniper berries and thyme — a few berries, one sprig (moorland aromatics)
Roast Balmoral Venison with Redcurrant Sauce
A seared then roasted venison fillet, pink in the middle, napped with a wine sauce of redcurrants: the dish of autumn evenings in the Highlands.
Why this dish? Each autumn, the Queen stayed at Balmoral in Scotland, where game from the moors — deer and roe deer — was shot during estate hunts. Seasonal venison appeared on her family table, often accompanied by a tart fruit sauce.
Balmoral is our true home, where we can finally breathe the Highland air. The game comes from our own moors — nothing pleases us more than a deer taken in season, roasted briefly so it remains pink. We serve it with a redcurrant sauce from our gardens, for the fruit's acidity lifts the meat just so. It is a simple meal, but it is, I believe, the most honest thing the table can offer.
Ingredients (period version)
- Venison fillet (deer or roe deer) from Balmoral — one fine piece (meat)
- Redcurrants — a good handful (tart sauce)
- Red wine — a glass (deglazing)
- Butter — a knob (cooking and binding)
- Juniper berries and thyme — a few berries, one sprig (moorland aromatics)
Ingredients
- Venison fillet (deer or roe deer) — 600 g (meat)
- Redcurrant jelly — 3 tbsp (tart sauce)
- Full-bodied red wine — 150 ml (deglazing)
- Game or beef stock — 200 ml (sauce base)
- Butter — 40 g (cooking and binding)
- Juniper berries — 6, crushed (aromatic)
- Fresh thyme — 2 sprigs (aromatic)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking; season with salt and pepper.
- Sear the fillet in foaming butter on all sides with the juniper and thyme (3-4 minutes total for pink meat).
- Keep the meat warm under foil.
- Deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping up the bits; add the stock and redcurrant jelly; reduce by half.
- Mount the sauce with a knob of cold butter, adjust seasoning.
- Slice the venison, spoon the sauce over. Serve with roasted root vegetables.
How it was made : Game from the royal estates was a direct resource: no purchase, no middleman. The meat was hung (aged) for several days before cooking, and its wild flavor was softened by red fruit sauces, an old British tradition.
The contemporary twist : A fan of thin slices arranged on the plate, sauce mirrored: Highland game state dinner style.
Sources : Darren McGrady, Eating Royally (2007) · Scottish culinary tradition of seasonal game
Elizabeth II · Charactorium