Venison steaks with blueberry sauce.

Ingredients

For the sauce
125g/4½oz blueberries
3 tbsp white wine or sherry
pinch sugar
½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp orange juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp grated coaca

For the venison
knob butter
1 tsp olive oil
2 venison steaks (preferably loin)
 
Method
1. For the sauce, set aside 4-6 blueberries for garnish and place the remaining blueberries in a small heavy-based pan with the wine or sherry and sugar.
2. Simmer over a low heat for about ten minutes, until the blueberries reach a mushy consistency. Add the vinegar, orange juice and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in the coaca and keep the sauce warm.
3. While the sauce is simmering, prepare the venison. In a frying pan, melt the butter and oil over a medium heat and add the venison to the pan. Fry the venison for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked to your liking. Leave the venison to rest in a warm place for at least five minutes before serving.
5. Place the venison steaks on two plates, spoon over the sauce and garnish with the remaining blueberries. Serve straightaway.  


Chicken breasts filled with red pepper & cacao 

This is my version of a recipe by Willie Harcourt–Cooze.
 
4 chicken breasts, skin on
A little olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
1 spring onion chopped
1 small red chilli deseeded and chopped
6 black pitted olives
½ tbsp finely grated cacao
4 slices of air dried ham
 
Butterfly the chicken breasts, place on a plate and cover with greaseproof then leave in fridge while you make up the filling.
To make the filling, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan add the onion, pepper and chilli, fry gently for 5 minutes or until soft then add the olives and cacao.
Spoon into a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Remove the chicken breasts from the oven and place a quarter of the filling in the centre of each breast, then fold the chicken flesh over to seal the filling in.
Place a slice of the air dried ham on your work surface, then place the chicken breast on the ham and wrap the ham around it to seal.
Warm a heavy based frying pan and place the breasts skin side down, allow to colour turn over to seal then place in a pre-heated oven 190oc for 25-30 minutes.
Serve with salad or seasonal veg.