Roasted Rack Of Venison And Shallots With Dried Cranberry Gravy Recipes

ROASTED RACK OF VENISON AND SHALLOTS WITH DRIED-CRANBERRY GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a roasting pan large enough to hold the venison racks without crowding them, toss the shallots with 2 tablespoons of the oil and salt and pepper to taste and roast them in the middle of the oven, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are golden. Pat the venison dry, season it with salt and pepper, and rub it generously with the additional oil. Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat until it is hot and in it sear the venison on all sides. Push the shallots to the sides of the roasting pan, stand the venison racks in the middle of the pan, allowing the bones to rest together, and roast the mixture in the middle of the oven for 23 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 125°F., for rare meat. Transfer the racks with shallots to a platter and let them stand, covered loosely with foil, for 15 minutes. To the roasting pan add the broth, the wine, the water, and the juniper berries and simmer the mixture, scraping up the brown bits, for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve set over a small saucepan, whisk the cornstarch mixture, and add it to the saucepan with the cranberries, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the gravy, whisking, for 5 minutes. Cut the venison into individual chops and serve it with the shallots and the gravy.

ROAST RACK OF VENISON WITH CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Place the wine, garlic, half the peppercorns, the bay leaves, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in a deep dish that will hold the venison. Place the venison in the bowl, turn it to coat all sides, cover it and refrigerate overnight. Turn the meat a few times while it is marinating.
• Place the cranberries in a non-reactive saucepan. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, ginger, five-spice powder and remaining peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and cook slowly, stirring from time to time, about 20 minutes. The cranberries should be soft and there should be enough liquid in the pan just to moisten them. Remove from the heat and set aside until serving time.
• About two hours before serving remove the venison from the marinade and place it in a roasting pan so it comes to room temperature. Strain the marinade, place it in a saucepan and cook over high heat until the marinade is reduced to about three-fourths cup. Add the beef broth, cook the mixture down until there is about three-fourths cup, then season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the venison in the oven and roast it about 12 minutes per pound for medium rare. It should register 120 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the thick part of the meat, not touching any bone.
• Remove the meat from the oven and allow it to stand at room temperature 20 minutes before carving. Warm the dried-cranberry mixture and transfer it to a serving dish. Reheat the sauce made from the marinade. Check the seasonings again.
• Cut the venison into individual chops. If the butcher has cracked the large bone between the chops, cutting the chops should be extremely easy.
• Serve the venison moistened with some of the reheated sauce and with the cranberry mixture on the side.