Game Day: Venison, Roast Partridge Breast with Bacon, Sprouts, and Heirloom Carrots

Eating game isn't a particularly American thing and if I was still in America I don't know when or where I would eat it.  Right now venison, which is amazing, and partridge are in season and, after a very strenuous day of brunch and shopping, I thought I deserved to treat myself.  On the way back from Cambridge I stopped in at a farm shop to see what I could get- I ended up with two venison steaks, five partridge breasts (they're like the A-cup of the poultry world so I felt a real affinity to them), some sprouts, and heirloom carrots.  I've cooked venison before and it has a really interesting flavor so doesn't need much doing on that front.  I don't think I've ever had partridge before but a quick google search led me to believe that, although it's gamey, it needs a bit of help when it comes to flavor.

Venison steaks and partridge breast

When cooking game, it's advisable to send your significant other out for wine in case the meal is bad. If you're as lucky as I am, he or she will return with wine AND oysters- everyone's a winner.  

Venison doesn't need much in the way of flavoring but I used a combination of red wine, olive oil, salt and pepper keep it from drying out.  As with beef steak, I use a fork to poke holes in the venison on both sides so that when it's turned in the marinade (for lack of a better word), the whole cut of meat absorbs it.

Red wine, olive oil, salt and pepper

Venison steaks with fork marks in marinade

   

The plate pictured above is a glorious charity shop find that fits in with my love of willow wear while being very practical.

Since sprouts and heirloom carrots are also in season, they have a lot of flavor of their own so don't need to be overpowered by anything.  Like all heirloom vegetables, heirloom carrots are beautiful and taste great.  Tonight, I just used butter, salt, and pepper- basically the only three things you need when you cook.

Sprouts and heirloom carrots

Originally, I was going to do bacon-wrapped partridge but I didn't have as much bacon as I thought so I just put the partridge on top of it.  Partridge can get dried out really easily, like all poultry, so I seared the partridge to help seal in the moisture then diced a clove of garlic to put on top which added moisture and flavor.

Searing the partridge breast

Bacon, partridge breast, and diced garlic

To be extra sure that the partridge didn't dry out, I put tin foil over while it cooked.  I think next time I would put a bit of olive oil or butter on top to keep it tender.  To cook the venison, I also seared it then covered it with tin foil while it was on the pan.  I was planning on this being a dainty meal but, as I tend to do, I made much too much food and will be eating this for a few days- unless the man or dog of the house get to it first.  

I got this table cloth today and have mixed feelings about it- the large wine glasses I only have good feelings about

Final product: venison, heirloom carrots, sprouts, and partridge breast

 Recipes

Venison Steaks

• Venison- make sure it's in season and ask your butcher how much they would recommend 
• Red wine
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. If venison is wrapped in plastic, rinse and lightly pat dry with paper towel
2. Pour a splash of red wine and olive olive oil into a dish
3. Add salt and pepper as desired
4. Poke holes with a fork in the meat, turning occasionally 
5. On a hot pan, sear each side of the venison for about 2 minutes each
6. Lower heat on pan and flip venison regularly until cooked to your liking - about another 10 minutes

Roast Partridge Breasts with Bacon and Garlic

• 5 partridge breasts 
• 2 rashers of bacon
• 1-2 cloves of garlic

1. Preheat oven to 200C degrees
2. Sear each side of the breast on a hot pan for about a minute each, remove and place on a plate
3. On the same pan, cook the bacon for 1-2 minutes, remove from pan and put in oven-proof tray
4. Dice garlic cloves
5. Place bacon, partridge, and garlic on baking tray, covering with foil
6. If you're worried about tenderness, add a bit of butter or olive oil on top
7. Cook for another 20 minutes or until juices run clear

Recent dinners

Now that the holidays are over, I have made some New Years resolutions: to eat better (real original), to work out more (even more original), to keep a journal, and to be able to touch my toes (I've always been hopelessly inflexible).  In an effort to eat better I've decided to limit the dairy and wheat in my diet.  Over the last weeks I've cooked a few dinners that are wheat- and dairy-free and also really nice:  roasted venison with asparagus (I know it's not in season and the fact that it came from Brazil isn't eco-friendly but I really like asparagus) and duck-fat roast potatoes, pan-fried cod with a roasted root-veg medley, and honey roasted pork with roasted brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes.

Venison

Roast venison with asparagus, roast potatoes and a side of scallops and bacon

I am lucky enough to know a good butcher who provided me with a most glorious cut of venison steak.  Until this, I had never eaten, let alone cooked, venison but this turned out wonderfully.  I also have never cooked with duck fat but decided, after reading several recipes, it seemed like the flavor would be better so I gave it a try.  The scallops and bacon were just a man-requested extra.  If you've never tried a scallop with its foot (the orange bit) on, you should.  It's weird and wonderful and worth trying.

Ready for its close-up

Cod

Royston is a market town, which means on Wednesdays and Saturdays there is a wonderful market selling all kinds of things from antiques to fish and household cleaners to vegetables.  I've been meaning to get my veg from the market but haven't until this weekend.  I have, however, bought a silver tray and some eggs there.  On this past Saturday we bought (more) eggs, parsnips, sprouts, and carrots from the vegetable stand and some fresh cod from the fish monger.  It all looked and tasted so fresh and there was plenty more English vegetables I haven't tried that I've already planned a few things to cook next week with what I've seen there.  I'd much rather buy my food from someone who can tell me where my food came from, because they brought it from the source to the market, than from a big super market where "fresh fish" can be up to three weeks old.  It also brings people in the community together and you never what you're going to find.

Cod with sweet potato, parsnip, and carrot.  

This, apparently, isn't a very photogenic dish.

Pork chops with sprouts, carrots, and mashed potatoes

Sadly, this pork isn't from my favorite butcher or the market but was still quite good.  I put a bit of honey on it but probably should have brined it.  The sprouts had some carrots, onions, salt and pepper and only took about 15-20 minutes to cook.  The mashed potatoes had some cheese in them because of the vast amount we received over Christmas and couldn't finish and now have to finish before it goes off.  Another easy meal that doesn't take too long to make but still tastes wonderful.

Same old plate, new meal

Yum 

Recipes

Venison

• Venison- make sure it's in season and ask your butcher how much they would recommend 
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. If venison is wrapped in plastic, rinse and lightly pat dry with paper towel
2. Cut small holes into the venison and insert the garlic
3. Coat lightly in olive oil
4. Season with salt and pepper as desired
5. On a hot pan, sear each side of the venison for about 2 minutes each
6. Lower heat on pan and flip venison regularly until cooked to your liking - about another 10 minutes

Roast potatoes, cooked with duck fat

I don't usually skin potatoes but if you're into that, go for it!

• 2-4 potatoes 
• 1/4 cup duck fat
• Salt and pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons flour (optional)

1. Cut potato into similar sized chunks- about a cubic inch
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
3. Boil potatoes for about 5 minutes or until they're just soft
4. Once oven is hot, put duck fat you into baking tin and leave in the oven for 2-5 minutes
5. Drain potatoes and rough up slightly in colander - if you want them extra crispy, add the flour 
6. Put potato into the fat, sprinkle lightly with salt, making sure all surfaces have sufficient fat
7. Cook for 15 minutes then turn
8. Cook for another 20 minutes or until potatoes look so glorious you must eat them
9. Be careful - potatoes stay hot!

Asparagus

1. Steam for 3-5 minutes, until bright green and bend slightly when picked up with fork

Scallops with foot

1. Rinse and pat scallops dry with paper towel
2. Separate the scallop from the foot
3. Heat frying pan
4. Place the scallop onto the hot pan, turning after about 1 minute
5. Place the foot on the pan, turning after about 30 seconds - the foot is much thinner than the scallop so it doesn't take as long to cook
6. If you'd like to be sure that the scallop is cooked through, keep on the pan 1:30 before turning

If you don't know how to cook bacon, you can google it.  It's easy.  

Cod

• Cod- make sure it's fresh and locally sourced- ask your fish monger how much they would recommend 
• 2 tbs of mustard
• 3 tbs olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Rinse and lightly pat dry with paper towel
2. Mix olive oil and mustard together - if you have balsamic vinegar reduce the amount of mustard and mix it all in with the olive oil to your taste
3. Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper then coat with the olive oil and mustard
4. On a heated pan, place the cod skin down for 4-5 minutes before flipping

Root vegetable medley

• Sweet potato
• Parsnip
• Carrots
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 f
2. Cut veg into similar sized sticks
3. Coat lightly in olive oil
4. Season with salt and pepper as desired
5. Shake veg on tray so that the oil is evenly coated
6. Cook for 30 minutes, shaking the tray every 10 minutes

Pork Chops

• Pork chops
• 1/2 tbs honey per chop
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 f
2. Coat each chop with honey
3. Pour olive oil onto a pan/skillet
4. Place chops on pan and cook each side for about 1 minute, then transfer to pre-heated oven
5. Cook for 4 minutes then turn
6. Cook for another 4 minutes or until done

Sprouts, Onion, and Carrots

• 1/4lb sprouts, 1 onion, and 2 carrots
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 f
2. Sprouts- trim and half
3. Cut carrots and onion into small chunks
4. Season with salt, pepper, and olive oil
5. Put into baking tray and cook for 15 minutes

As usual, these recipes are very imprecise and, hopefully, simple.  All measurements are eye-balled and based on what I think would taste good.  Give them a try and feel free to post any suggestions!

Dinner time

I think food is really good and everyone should enjoy it.  I also really like cooking and think I'm pretty good at it- as long as the recipe is simple and doesn't involve precise measurements or the occasional counter-clockwise stir à la Draught of the Living Death in The Half Blood Prince.
Tonight I made, basically, a paleo dinner (don't tell Sam) that is both easy and yummy: mustard chicken with roasted sweet potato and spinach (recipes below).

Mustard chicken, roasted sweet potato, and spinach

Please ignore the chip in my china

I wouldn't say my diet is ideal- I eat bread and french fries in moderation (kind of)- but I know what's good for me and try to stick to that.    I cook most of what I eat, avoid processed foods and ingredients, and eat fresh when I can.  In general I find the simpler, the better and the better for you.  Not needing to measure things also helps.

Recipes

Mustard chicken

• Chicken breast (or whatever part of the chicken you like)
• About 1 tbs Dijon mustard per breast (depending on how much you like mustard)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Rinse and dry chicken, place in baking apparatus
2. Dollop mustard and a splash of olive oil onto chicken
3. Mix around until chicken is coated on both sides
4. Season with salt and pepper as desired
5. Either set aside for a bit to marinade or preheat your oven to 350
6. Cook for about 20 minutes depending on amount of chicken
7. Eat your chicken

Roasted sweet potato

I don't usually skin my potatoes but if you're into that, do that first.

• Sweet potato
• Olive oil/fat
• Salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Once oven is hot, put olive oil/fat you like to cook with into baking tin and leave in the oven for 2-5 minutes
3. Cut sweet potato into similar sized chunks- about a cubic inch
4. Put potato into the hot oil/fat, sprinkle lightly with salt, making sure all surfaces have sufficient oil and fat
5. Cover tin with tin foil and cook for 20 minutes
6. Remove cover and cook for another 20 minutes or until potatoes are getting crispy and you want to eat them

Christmas

This is my first Christmas away from home and from my family, which is a bummer.  I've brought over a tradition from home - Christmas cookies from the Joy of Cooking (recipe at bottom) that I used to make with my mom- and stared a new one - making sloe gin and sloe gin royale (recipes at bottom).  Since I no longer have Thanksgiving as a barometer to let me know when it is appropriate to start preparing for Christmas, I made my first batch of Christmas cookies mid- November. #yolo.

Christmas cookies

Sloe gin Royales in gold leaf goblets from Essex antique shop

In an attempt to be smart, Sam and I bought solar powered Christmas lights to go over our front door.  Unfortunately, we didn't take into account the fact that our house is terraced in such a way that prevents the front of our house from getting any sun.  The lights go on for about 30 seconds a day but at least they aren't wasting electricity.

Sad, eco-friendly lights

Luckily, the Christmas tree and other indoor decorations are much more sufficient.

Silver plated tray from Royston charity shop,  candles from Ikea, golden acorn candles and baubles from Tesco, holly cut while walking the dog

Tree with lights, star, and decorations from local garden center

Fenway impersonating Santa 

Stocking from The Factory Store hanging on a hand-make oak mirror, advent calendar from a German colleague

Hearing about the glorious snow back home while in England all I'm getting is a dreary mist isn't ideal but I'm still hopeful for a white Christmas.  Worst case, there will be no snow but plenty of cookies and gin.


Recipes

Christmas Cookies - Rich Roll Cookies from the Joy of Cooking

• 1 cup of butter
• 2/3 cups of sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups of sifted flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp lemon (optional, but what I do)

1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Beat in egg and vanilla
3. Add salt, flour, and lemon rind
• Using your hands to get everything mixed properly is a bit easier than just using a spoon
4. Chill dough for 3-4 hours
5. Preheat over to 350 degrees
6. Roll and cut cookies
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes

Sloe Gin

• About 500g of sloes
• Best to pick them when they're soft and ripe. No need to wait until the first frost because freezers exist and you can put the sloes in yours overnight- just defrost before getting started
• 225g sugar
• 1 liter of gin
• Glass jar(s) with lid(s)

1. Use a clean needle to prick some of the sloes (allows the flavor to go into the gin more quickly but freezing the berries should split the skin, which has the same effect)
2. Pour in gin and sugar, seal jar(s) and shake
3. Leave jar(s) somewhere cool and dark but that you won't forget about and shake every 1-2 days for 1-2 months.
• I left my first jar for a month and it came out very nicely but I'm saving the second to have on Christmas
4. Strain the sloe gin through a strainer or muslin into a clip-top bottle

Sloe Gin Royal

• Sloe gin
• Champagne

1. Pour yourself a glass of champagne
2. Add a bit of gin at a time until you like how it tastes