Ingredients

• 200ml/7fl oz groundnut oil
• 70ml/2½fl oz white wine vinegar
• pinch ground white pepper
• pinch salt
• 1 garlic clove
• lightly crushed
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 300g/10½oz ripe black or green figs
• whole
• 20g/¾oz butter
• pinch Chinese five-spice
• 30ml/1fl oz port
• 4 venison fillets or 240g/9oz venison saddle
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 60g/2¼oz unsalted butter
• 1 shallot
• finely chopped
• 125g/4½oz mixed wild mushrooms
• 80ml/2½fl oz chicken stock
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• pinch Chinese five-spice
• 60g/2½oz mixed salad leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• To make the vinaigrette
• mix together all the ingredients.
• For the fig purée
• cut the figs in half and remove the pulp
• with no white flesh.
• Heat the butter in a pan until foaming. Add the five-spice and cook for 2 minutes and then add the flesh of the figs. Add the port and cook for 10-15 minutes.
• In a blender
• blend until smooth
• then pass through a sieve. Finish with a little more butter and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
• Season the venison with salt and pepper. Heat a thick bottomed pan with a little oil and 25g/1oz butter. When the butter is foaming
• add the venison and cook slowly
• colouring all around. Cook for approximately 10 minutes
• remove from the pan and leave to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
• For the ragoût
• using the pan that you cooked the meat in
• add a knob of butter and the shallots cooking gently for about 1 minute before adding the mushrooms. Add the chicken stock and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 25g/1oz of butter. Add some vinaigrette to taste and finish with salt
• pepper
• chopped parsley and a pinch of five spice.
• To serve
• slice the venison. Put a little fig purée on each plate
• put the mushrooms in the middle of the plate and meat on top. Dress the salad leaves lightly in the vinaigrette and scatter them over and around. Pour over a little ragoût and serve .