Ingredients

• 12 venison cutlets
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 110g/4oz instant polenta
• 3 large rosemary leaves and stems
• roughly chopped
• 110ml/4fl oz olive oil
• 250ml/9fl oz water
• 300ml/11fl oz milk
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove
• squashed and peeled
• 125g/4½oz instant polenta
• 125ml/4½fl oz double cream
• 30g/1¼oz parmesan
• freshly grated
• 75g/3oz mascarpone
• 4 tbsp fresh flatleaf parsley
• 1 tsp truffle oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 200g/7oz wild mushrooms
• cleaned and sliced
• 1 large bunch fresh flatleaf parsley
• leaves only
• 1 large bunch fresh basil
• leaves only
• 110g/4oz pine nuts
• toasted
• 2 garlic cloves
• 50-75ml/2-3fl oz extra virgin olive oil

Directions

• For the venison cutlets
• season the cutlets with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Place the polenta and rosemary into a bowl and mix well.
• Rub half the olive oil into the venison cutlets
• then dip the cutlets into the polenta and rosemary mixture to coat each side.
• Heat a frying pan until hot
• then add the remaining olive oil and the polenta-encrusted venison. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side
• or until golden-brown and cooked to your liking. Remove from the pan and leave to rest in a warm place.
• For the polenta
• place the water
• milk
• salt
• black pepper and garlic into a heavy-based pan. Place the pan over the heat and bring to the boil.
• Add the polenta and begin to stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes
• stirring constantly so it doesn't stick to the pan or become lumpy.
• Add the double cream and cook for one minute.
• Add the mascarpone
• parmesan
• flatleaf parsley and truffle oil and stir well. Cook for one minute then remove from the heat.
• Heat a frying pan until hot. Add the olive oil and mushrooms and fry for 3-4 minutes
• or until golden-brown.
• For the pesto
• place all of the pesto ingredients into a pestle and mortar and pound to a paste. (You may place into a food processor and blend if preferred.)
• To serve
• spoon the polenta into the centre of each plate and top with equal amounts of mushrooms. Place three cutlets to the side of each pile of polenta and finish with a spoonful of pesto drizzled around.