Ingredients

• Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
• 24 damsons (preferably Lythe Valley)
• stones removed
• 60g/2½ oz caster sugar
• 1 orange
• juice only
• 1 orange
• juice only
• 110ml/4fl oz red wine
• 200ml/7fl oz red wine sauce (equal quantities of red wine and stock
• simmered in a heavy-based pan until the volume is reduced by half)
• 12 juniper berries
• crushed
• 50g/2oz butter

Directions

• For the dock pudding
• heat a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and
• when melted
• add the onions
• cover and let them sweat gently for about two minutes
• until soft.
• When the onions have softened
• add the oatmeal and mix until well combined. Add the vegetable stock
• increase the heat and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Add the blanched dock leaves and nettle leaves and stir until well combined.
• Remove the mixture from the pan and place onto a cling film-lined baking tray
• pressing down until the mixture is about 1.5cm/½in thick. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least one hour.
• When the mixture has chilled
• cut into rounds 7cm/2¾ in diameter. Dust the rounds lightly with flour.
• Heat a frying pan over a medium heat
• add the clarified butter and fry the rounds for 2-3 minutes on both sides
• or until golden-brown and cooked through.
• For the roebuck
• heat a non-stick frying pan until hot. Add some of the olive oil and fry the roebuck pieces on each side until golden-brown on the outside
• but still pink in the middle
• approximately 1-2 minutes on both sides. (You may need to work in batches
• adding more oil as you go.) Allow the cooked roebuck to rest in a warm place.
• Heat a large heavy-based pan until hot. Add the butter
• then add the spinach and cook until just wilted
• 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and nutmeg.
• Place the cooked spinach onto a baking tray lined with a clean tea towel to absorb the excess liquid.
• For the damsons
• place the damsons
• sugar and orange juice into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes
• or until the damsons are tender.
• For the juniper sauce
• place the orange juice and red wine in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer until the liquid has reduced in volume by three-quarters.
• Add the red wine sauce and the juniper berries and return the sauce a simmer. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes
• then pass the sauce through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Add the butter to the sauce and blend with a hand blender until smooth.
• To serve
• place a portion of the dock pudding on the left hand side of each serving plate. Place two pieces of the roebuck each to the right and a portion of spinach in the middle. Spoon the damsons over and drizzle the sauce around.