INGREDIENTS
Roasted beets:
4 large beetroot, washed and dried
200g coarse salt
25ml hazelnut oil
10ml red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
For the game:
600g game fillet or loin
50ml grape seed oil
Black pepper and flaked salt to season
For the poached plum:
250ml red wine
25g brown sugar
1 cinnamon, whole
2 bay leaves
25ml red wine vinegar
50ml port
4 slightly unripe plums
Red sauce:
200ml beetroot juice
200ml plum poaching liquid
500ml game or beef stock
2 bay leaves
5 black peppercorns, whole
For the braised red cabbage: 450g red cabbage, sliced
50g unsalted butter
250ml red wine
25g brown sugar
1 cinnamon, whole
2 bay leaves
25ml red wine vinegar
50ml port
Salt to taste
For the chip seasoning:
50g Maldon salt
2g coriander seeds, toasted
2g all spice, toasted
2g black peppercorns, toasted
Pinch cinnamon powder
For the game chips:
2 large potatoes
250ml grape seed oil
METHOD
For the roasted beets, preheat an oven to 180°C.
Place coarse salt onto a shallow roasting tray and place washed and dried beets on top of the salt.
Use a fork to pierce the skin of each beetroot and place in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until the beetroots have cooked through.
Remove the beetroots from the oven and set aside to cool.
Once cooled, the skin should peel easily from the beets. Slice each beetroot into quarters and toss in a bowl with the oil, vinegar and salt.
Set aside until needed.
For the game, heat a heavy based frying pan on a high heat.
Rub the loins/fillets liberally with grape seed oil and season slightly with black pepper and flaked
salt.
Once the pan has reached smoking point, place the loins inside and continue to roast on a high
heat on all sides. This should take about 6 minutes.
Set the game aside to rest for 6 minutes then slice, season and serve.
For the poached plum, add 250ml of red wine, 25g of brown sugar, 1 cinnamon stick whole, 2 bay leaves, 25ml red wine vinegar and 50ml of port to a heavy based sauce pan, (leave out the plums.) Turn on to a medium heat and bring up to a simmer. Turn the heat off and set aside.
Slice the cheeks off of each plum and place inside the heated poaching liquid.
Allow the plums to cool within the poaching liquid and then remove the skins from each cheek. The
skins should peel off easily.
Reserve the poaching liquid for the sauce.
For the red sauce, place the beetroot juice, plum poaching liquid, game or beef stock, 2 bay leaves and 5 black peppercorns into a heavy based saucepan and turn on to a medium heat.
Slowly reduce until the sauce begins to thicken slightly. At this point, turn the heat off and add the butter and thyme.
To serve, remove thyme and whisk to incorporate the butter.
For the braised red cabbage, in a heavy based saucepan, sweat the cabbage and 50g of unsalted butter for about four minutes on a low heat, or until the cabbage begins to break down and wilt. Avoid any caramelisation.
Add 250ml of red wine, brown sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 25ml of red wine vinegar and 50ml of port and gently braise the cabbage until completely soft. The braising liquid should have reduced to a glaze in this time. If not, feel free to strain and reduce separately and mix back into the cabbage.
Check seasoning and add salt if needed.
Set aside until needed.
For the chip seasoning, simply blend 50g of Maldon salt, 2g of toasted coriander seeds, all spice and black peppercorns and a pinch of cinnamon powder together either using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder and set aside to season the game chips once they have been fried.
For the game chips, slice potatoes as thinly as possible using a sharp knife or mandolin if you have one available there's no need to peel the potatoes but you are welcome to if you wish.
Heat the grape seed oil to 145°C on a medium heat in a heavy based saucepan. If you do not have a thermometer handy, then just add a slice of potato to the hot oil to check if the oil is hot enough to fry.
Add the slices a few at a time and fry until golden and crisp. Be careful to avoid over crowding the pan as this will result in the chips sticking together.
As soon and the chips have been removed from the oil, place onto some paper towel and season liberally with the spiced chip seasoning whilst they are still hot.
Set aside until needed.
