Venison salad with beetroot, cranberries, goats cheese and walnuts
In the height of summer, we’re all looking for lighter alternatives and recipes that don’t take hours to prepare. A whole venison fillet can be prepped in advance and elegantly served as a starter or light meal within this salad. Big on flavour, beautiful as a centrepiece on your table.
Ingredients
50 g dried cranberries
125 ml red wine
(preferably Pinot Noir, but any dry red wine will do)
600 g whole venison fillet (springbok etc.) 15 ml olive oil
salt & pepper
a large bunch fresh watercress
about 300 g cooked/roasted beetroot, quartered/halved 200 g plain soft goats cheese (chevin log), crumbled/cubed 100 g whole walnuts
FOR THE DRESSING
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
30 ml red wine vinegar
10 ml wholegrain mustard salt & pepper, to taste
Method
Place the cranberries in a small saucepan with the wine and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until most of the wine has evaporated, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Place the fillet on a clean working surface, then rub all over with oil, and season the salt & pepper. Grill in a hot pan on all sides until cooked to your liking (pink in the middle is perfect). Remove from the heat. Leave to rest and cool, then slice thinly.
Arrange the salad: on a large platter, arrange the watercress, beetroot, sliced venison, goats cheese, cooled plumped cranberries and walnuts. Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a small jar, cover with a lid and shake vigorously. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.
NOTE
You can also use about 300 g thinly sliced smoked cured venison for this salad.
