Selle de Chevreuil Rôtie (Roast Saddle of Venison)
Remove all the outside furred skin from the venison, the second skin, which is under the outside skin, and all sinews. Put the saddle in a deep bowl, cover it with the following cooked marinade, and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, turning it frequently so that the marinade will penetrate the meat on all sides.
When ready to cook the venison, remove it from the marinade, dry the surface thoroughly, and lard the top with strips of fat salt pork. Season the meat with salt, put it in a roasting pan with enough fat or oil to permit generous basting, and roast in a hot oven (450° F.), basting frequently. The time required to cook the saddle, which should be cooked rare, depends on the size of the animal from which it came and the thickness of the meat. For a saddle of 5 to 6 pounds allow about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Place the venison on a warm serving dish, remove the slices of fat pork covering it, and if glace de viande is available, spread it lightly over the venison. Serve with sauce poivrade.
Cooked Marinade
In a saucepan put 1 quart of water, 1 ½ cups vinegar, 1 or 2 onions, chopped, 1 carrot, sliced, 1 clove of garlic, I teaspoon thyme, 2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs of parsley, 12 to 15 peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. Cool the marinade and pour it over the meat.
Poivrade Sauce
Discard the fat from the roasting pan, but do not wash the pan. Add to the pan 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon chopped shallot or onion, 1 cup brown sauce (see January, 1953) or good meat gravy, ½ cup tomato sauce, 2 sprigs of parsley, a small bay leaf, a little thyme, and 1 cup stock. Bring the sauce to a boil and simmer until it is reduced to about 1 ½ cups.
Meanwhile crush 8 peppercorns, put them in a pan with 1 cup dry red wine, and simmer until the wine is reduced to 1/3 cup. Pour the same from the roasting pan into the red wine mixture and cook slowly for about 25 minutes, skimming as needed. Correct the seasoning with salt, strain the sauce through a fine sieve, and stir in 2 tablespoons red currant jelly. Serve with game.
Purée dc Marrons (Chestnut Purée)
With a sharp knife cut a slit or small cross in the rounded tops of 2 pounds of chestnuts and cook the chestnuts in a hot oven (425° F.) or under the broiler flame for 8 to 10 minutes. When the nuts are coot enough to handle, remove the shells and the skin beneath the shells. Put the chestnuts in a saucepan with enough salted water to cover and add 2 or 3 stalks of celery. Bring the water to a boil and simmer the nuts for 30 minutes, or until tender. Cool the nuts in the liquid.
Remove the chestnuts from the liquid and press them through a fine sieve. Reheat the purée with butter and cream, using 1 tablespoon each of butter and heavy cream for each cup of purée. Correct the seasoning with salt.
Terrine de Faison Truffée au Madère (Pheasant Pâté with Truffles and Madeira Aspic)
Clean and bone a large pheasant and remove the skin without tearing it and reserve. Cut off the breasts and the leg meat, saving the remaining carcass and bones to make the aspic. Cut each breast into 6 slices and add to it 6 slices, cut about the same size, of lean fresh pork or veal or both. Put all the sliced meat in a bowl and cover it with a marinade made by combining ½ teaspoon salt, a pinch of poultry seasoning, 2 tablespoons cognac, ¼ cup dry sherry or Madeira, 1 small bay leaf, and a little thyme. Place on top 3 sprigs of parsley, 1 small clove of garlic, and 3 or 4 slices of onion and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cover the bowl and let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
Remove the sinews from the leg meat, combine the leg meat with ¾ pound of lean fresh pork or equal parts of pork and veal, and ¾ pound of fresh fat pork, and put through a meat chopper, using the finest blade. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons goose liver, 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped truffles, and 1 egg and mix well. Pour over this forcemeat a marinade made of ½ teaspoon salt, a pinch of poultry seasoning, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons cognac, and about 1/3 cup dry white wine. Cover the forcemeat and put it in the refrigerator with the sliced meat.
When ready to make the pâté, remove the sliced meat from the marinade, discarding the vegetables. Prepare 6 large strips of cooked ham or oxtongue, 12 large strips of truffles, and 6 large strips of goose liver.
Line a terrine or a medium-sized, straight-sided casserole with the skin of the pheasant and cover the bottom and sides with thin slices of fat pork. Pack in about one-third of the forcemeat, then lay on it half the slices of marinated pheasant breast alternately with half the slices of fresh pork or pork and veal, the strips of ham or oxtongue, the truffles, and the goose liver. Pack in one-third more of the forcemeat, lay on the remaining meat, truffles, and goose liver, and finish by packing in the remaining forcemeat. Cover with thin slices of fat pork, pull the edges of skin over the top, and cover the skin with slices of fat pork. Add a small bay leaf and cover the casserole. Seal the edges of the casserole with a stiff dough of flour and water, set the casserole in a pan containing 1 to 2 inches of hot water, and bake in a hot oven (400° F.) for 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hours, or for about 30 minutes per pound. To tell when the pâté is done, remove the dough seal and take off the cover; if the melted fat is clear, the pâté is done, if it has a cloudy appearance, more cooking is required. When done, take off the cover, place 5 or 6 plates on top to weigh the pâté down and give it a compact shape, and cool.
Pinterest
