Ingredients

• 4 x 200g/7oz venison fillet
• fully trimmed
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 75g/2¾oz butter
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 banana shallot
• finely diced
• 1 sprig thyme
• leaves picked
• 200ml/7fl oz red wine
• 300ml/10fl oz reduced beef stock
• 2 tsp redcurrant jelly
• 150g/5½oz caster sugar
• 25g/1oz butter
• 10 pieces cooked whole baby beetroot
• halved
• 500g/1lb 2oz ready-made all butter puff pastry
• rolled to 5mm/¼in thick
• 200g/7oz crème fraîche

Directions

• Season the venison with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the smoker alight
• or light a barbecue. When the coals have turned grey
• sprinkle them with wet wood chips to generate smoke.
• Heat a frying pan until hot
• add 25g/1oz of the butter and two tablespoons of the oil and sear the venison on each side for 2-3 minutes until nearly cooked.
• Remove the pan from the heat and turn the venison over a couple of times
• basting with the pan juices. Place the venison in the home smoker
• cover and turn off the heat. Leave for five minutes. Alternatively
• place in a smoke-filled barbecue
• but not over the coals
• for five minutes. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile
• heat a frying pan until hot
• add another 25g/1oz butter and the remaining oil
• shallot and thyme and cook gently for 2-3 minutes until just softened.
• Add the red wine and cook until reduced by half then add the beef stock and cook until reduced by half once more and slightly thickened.
• Finish with the last of the butter and the redcurrant jelly and check the seasoning.
• For the beetroot tarte tatin
• preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Heat four small ovenproof blini pans until hot then divide the sugar and butter between them and cook until caramelised and slightly thickened.
• Divide the halves of beetroot among the blini pans
• cut side down
• and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Cut out four circles of the pastry
• each slightly larger than the circumference of the blini pans.
• Cover each pan with a pastry round
• pushing the edge down around the beetroot. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes
• until the pastry is golden-brown and cooked through.
• Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
• To serve
• carefully turn the tartes out onto the plate
• carve the venison into thick slices and place in a pile on top. Finish with a drizzle of sauce and a spoonful of crème fraîche.