Serves 4

Venison is the low-cholesterol answer to those who love red meat but have to watch their animal fat intake. Tender, ultra lean and succulent, I can’t sing
its praises too much. While true wild venison is full of flavour, often the meat can be bruised if the animal is shot badly. So, a better bet is to buy farmed venison from the Scottish Highlands. Fillets come from the saddle and are best pan-fried until medium rare. Serve with a fine dice (smart name Brunoise) of carrots, celeriac and Savoy cabbage.

2 medium carrots, peeled
½ celeriac or 1 large turnip, peeled
1 leek, white part only
2 tbsp olive oil
100g lardons - small cubes of smoked lean streaky bacon
1 Savoy cabbage, cored and thinly shredded
142ml pot single cream
4 x 120g fillet of venison steaks
A little finely chopped parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Cut the carrots and celeriac or turnip into small, neat 1cm dice. Blanch in a little salted boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain, season and set aside.
2 Quarter the leek lengthways and cut into dice. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan and sauté the lardons until the fat starts to run. After about 3 minutes, toss in the leeks and cook for 2 minutes.
3 Stir in the cabbage and sauté with the leeks and bacon for 2-3 minutes until wilted, stirring often. Mix in the cream. Bring to the boil, then cook briskly
until the cream reduces by half. Check the seasoning.
4 When ready to serve, season the venison. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy-based nonstick frying pan and press the venison steaks on to the hot metal. Cook for about 3 minutes, then flip over and cook the other side for another 2 minutes or until the flesh feels springy when pressed. Season again and set the pan aside to let the meat rest.
5 Reheat the cabbage with brunoise of root vegetables. Divide between the centre of four warm dinner plates. Slice the venison into medallions, slightly on the diagonal and arrange on top, overlapping a little. Pour over any meat juices from the cutting up. Sprinkle over the parsley and serve.

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