Ingredients
1 venison leg, cut into 4 8-ounce portions
1 teaspoon juniper berries
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Caponata
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 white onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, cut into ¼ inch cubes
1 large acorn squash, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
1 large celery root, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
2 celery stalks, cut into ¼ inch cubes
½ cup capers, rinsed and drained
½ cup raisin, steeped in ½ cup red wine vinegar for 2 hours or overnight
½ cup sweet garlic cloves
¼ cup pitted black olives
¼ cup pitted green olives
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted in a 400ºF oven for 5 minutes
½ cup oven-roasted tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, roasted, seeded and cut into julienne strips
1 red bell pepper, roasted, seeded and cut into julienne strips
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
Juice of 1 orange
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1. Place the venison in a non-reactive, shallow casserole. In a small bowl, combine the juniper berries, rosemary sprigs, sliced garlic and 2 cups of the olive oil and pour over the venison. Cover the meat and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. In the meantime, make the caponata. In a 12 to 14 inch sauté pan, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil until smoking. Add the red and white onions and the fennel and sauté until they are golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Sauté the butternut squash, celery root and celery individually, adding 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan each time, and combining the sautéed ingredients in the bowl as you go. Gently stir in the capers, drained raisins, sweet garlic cloves, olives, pine nuts, roasted tomatoes and bell peppers. In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder, red pepper flakes, orange juice, thyme, and sugar and add to the cooked ingredients, stirring gently to combine.
3. Preheat the grill. Remove the venison from the refrigerator, pat off the excess oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the venison pieces to medium rare, about 4 minutes on each side, or approximately 120°F on an instant read thermometer.
4. To assemble the dish, mound the caponata in the center of four warmed dinner plates. Slice the venison and arrange over the caponata. Serve immediately.
.
|
