Served with crispy potato pavé, roasted pearl onions, and Saskatoon berry chimichurri – this melt-in-your-mouth dish is hearty and will allow you to savour the hunt, long after the season has ended.
By Mike Edgar, Photos by BAR XP PHOTO
Venison is one of the leanest, high in protein and most economical meats available – especially if you live with (or are) an avid hunter. This exquisite dish takes venison tenderloin to a new level and plated atop the most elegant scalloped potatoes (although not exactly, we’ll get into that later…) this meal will leave everyone satisfied and asking for more.
Potato Pavé
Pavé, is a French word for “paving stones” and as the potatoes are prepared for this dish and sliced into rectangular portions, thus the recipe name Potato Pavé. This side dish is similar to a refined version of scalloped potatoes and requires two days to complete. As such, this part of the meal is the first component to make.
Ingredients:
3 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
4 oz. Fat of Your Choosing (Duck, Goose, Beef, Olive Oil, or Butter) and Melted
Canola Oil for Frying
METHOD
1) Wash and peel potatoes.
2) Using a mandolin, slice the potatoes lengthwise to about 1/16th of an inch.
3) Place the potatoes in a bowl. Toss with fat, salt, and pepper.
4) In a loaf pan, lay down the potato piece by piece. Evenly layer until all the potatoes are used.
5) Preheat oven to 250-degrees Fahrenheit.
6) Bake the potatoes for three hours.
7) Remove from oven, cover with parchment paper, place another loaf pan on top and place weight onto the top of the loaf pan. The weight can be anything – canned vegetables, actual weights, or even rocks.
8) Place the weighted potato dish in the fridge overnight.
9) The next day, cut the potato side dish into desired portions. For this recipe, we did a two-inch length with a 1-inch width slice of potatoes.
10) Heat oil to 350-degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the potato slices for three to five minutes each.
11) Remove from oil and season with a pinch of salt.
Pearl Onions
Ingredients:
8 oz. Pearl Onions, Peeled
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 Pinch of Salt
1 Pinch of Ground Black Pepper
METHOD
1) Toss onions with oil, thyme, salt, pepper.
2) Pre heat oven to 400-degrees Fahrenheit.
3) Place onions in oven and roast for 15 minutes or until soft and golden, or fry until soft and golden.
Saskatoon Berry Chimichurri
Ingredients:
1 Bunch Chopped Parsley
1 Bunch Chopped Cilantro
1 Cup Chopped Chives
1 Cup Chopped Oregano
1 Cup Chopped Saskatoon Berries
4 Cloves of Garlic Minced
Juice of 3 Lemons
3 Tbsp Raspberry Vinegar
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Crushed Pink Peppercorns
1 Tsp Crushed Chilli Flakes
METHOD
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cover and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Plating:
Cook the venison via your preferred method and to your preferred doneness. For this dish we used the tenderloin and seared it at high heat to an internal temperature of 125-degrees Fahrenheit (rare). Then we allowed the meat to rest, covered for 15 minutes.
In the middle of the plate, place your crispy potato pavé, slice your meat to expose its beautiful color and arrange around the potato. Carefully place the roasted onions wherever you feel they should go. Top with the huge spoonful of the chimichurri and enjoy!
