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- 8
shallots
2 racks venison, about 1.5kg (3lb 3½ oz) in total
- 4 Tbsp.
oil
- 1 tsp.
ground allspice
- 1
garlic clove, crushed
3 thyme sprigs
- 200 ml
(7 fl oz (⅓ pint)) ruby port
- 1 Tbsp.
cornflour
- 400 ml
(14 fl oz) beef stock
- 2 Tbsp.
blueberry or blackberry jam
- 1 Tbsp.
balsamic vinegar
- 250 g
(9oz) blueberries
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Roughly chop four shallots (no need to peel) and scatter into a roasting tin large enough to hold both venison racks later on. Weigh the racks separately and make a note of the average weight. Calculate cooking time for this average weight based on 20min per 450g (1lb).
- Step 2
Rub 2tbsp oil and the ground allspice over the venison. Season well. Heat a large frying pan and fry meat (in batches if needed) until golden – about 3min. Lift out of pan (reserving pan) and put into the prepared roasting tin.
- Step 3
Roast racks together for the calculated cooking time (an average 750g/1lb 10½oz rack should take 33min). To check whether venison is cooked to medium rare, insert a metal skewer into the centre of the meat and hold for 5sec – it should come out warm. If not, return tin to oven for a further 2min.
- Step 4
When cooked, transfer racks to a board, cover with foil and let rest for 20min.
- Step 5
Peel and finely slice the remaining shallots. In the reserved pan, heat remaining 2tbsp oil and fry shallots for 4min until softened. Add garlic and thyme sprigs and cook for 1min. Pour in port, increase heat and simmer for 2min until reduced by half. Put cornflour into a small bowl, add 2tbsp of the stock and mix to a smooth paste. Mix the remaining stock, jam, balsamic vinegar and the cornflour mixture into the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for a further 5min until sauce has thickened slightly. Add the blueberries for the final 1min of simmering. Discard thyme sprigs and season to taste.
- Step 6
Transfer racks to a serving platter. Serve the venison with the sauce.
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Get Ahead
Complete steps 1, 2 and 5 up to a day ahead, but don’t add the blueberries to the sauce. Cool browned venison racks in tin, then cover and chill. Cool sauce completely, then cover and chill. To serve, remove venison from fridge 1hr before continuing with step 3. In a medium pan, reheat sauce with blueberries until piping hot.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 325
- Fibre: 1 g
- Total carbs: 15 g
- Sugars: 11 g
- Total fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
