Wild Scottish venison with port, figs and potato wedges

Because venison is so low in fat, cook it quickly and keep it on the rare side or it will be tough.

By Rob Mackenzie and Andy Waugh

From Nigel Slater's Simple Cooking

Shopping list

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time

30 mins to 1 hour

Serves

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the potato wedges

• 100ml/3½fl oz cold-pressed rapeseed oil
• 4 large potatoes
• pinch smoked sea salt

For the venison

• 100ml/3½fl oz cold-pressed rapeseed oil
• 5 small red chillies, whole
• 4 small red onions, finely sliced
• 800g/1lb 12oz wild Scottish venison haunch steaks
• 200g/7oz soft dried figs
• 50ml/2fl oz port
• 150ml/5fl oz balsamic vinegar
• watercress salad, to serve

Method

1. For the potato wedges, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Warm the rapeseed oil in a baking tray in the oven.
2. Slice the potatoes into wedges as thickly or thinly as you like, rinse under cold running water and pat dry with a tea towel (you don’t want any droplets of water left on the wedges).
3. Add the wedges to the hot oil and bake until golden and crisp - about 40 minutes - turning only once half way through. (Baking time is dependent on the thickness of the wedges.)
4. For the venison, heat half the rapeseed oil in a heavy frying pan. Add the chillies to the hot oil and coat completely, cooking for about two minutes or until the skins just begin to blister.
5. Stir in the red onions and cook for three minutes. Add the venison steaks, turning to seal all sides of the meat. Cook for about eight minutes for medium-rare. Add the figs and remaining oil, then the port and the balsamic vinegar and reduce for about three minutes.
6. Serve the venison with a watercress salad and a sprinkling of smoked sea salt over the potato wedges.