Daniel Boulud’s Chestnut-Crusted Loin of Venison
Makes 6 servings
The crust:
¾ pound peeled fresh chestnuts (from about 1 ¼ pounds in the shell), or 3/4 pound dry-packed bottled or vacuum-sealed peeled fresh chestnuts
1) Break each chestnut into a few pieces and spread the pieces out on a baking sheet. Allow the pieces to dry overnight in a warm place – inside an oven with a pilot light is perfect.
2) The next day, place the chestnuts in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse until they break into ¼-inch chunks. Sift the chestnuts, reserving the larger pieces that remain in the sieve, and discarding the powder or saving it for another use. Transfer these pieces to a plate and keep close at hand.
The meat:
Two 1 ½ pound venison loins, trimmed
The marinade:
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground star anise
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 sprig thyme
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a shallow pan, then roll the venison around in the marinade to coat. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or, preferably overnight, turning the meat a few times during this period.
The rutabaga:
Zest from ½ orange (pith removed), cut into very thin strands
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large rutabaga, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
Small pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Small pinch of ground star anise
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 sprig thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup homemade unsalted chicken stock or storebought low-sodium chicken broth
1) Put the orange zest in a small pot of water and bring to the boil. Boil 2 minutes; drain and set aside.
2) Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the rutabaga, spices, garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, without letting the rutabaga color. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, cover the pan, and lower the heat to keep the liquid at a simmer. Braise the rutabaga for 15 minutes, or until it can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife.
3) Remove the cover and cook the rutabaga, stirring and turning it gently, until it is glazed and the liquid in the pan has evaporated; discard the garlic and thyme. Just before serving, stir in the orange zest. (The rutabaga can be made several hours ahead, kept covered in the refrigerator, then warmed over gentle heat before serving; stir in the zest at serving time.)
To cook the venison:
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1) Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425oF.
2) Remove the venison from the marinade and discard the marinade. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a pan or dish long enough to accommodate the venison loins, beat together the eggs and yolk. Dust one side of each loin with flour, shake off the excess, and dip that side into the egg mixture and then into the chestnuts.
3) Heat the olive oil in a roasting pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the venison, chestnut-side down, and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn the loins over and place the roasting pan in the oven. Roast the venison 10 to 12 minutes, until medium-rare. Pull the pan from the oven and transfer the loins to a warm platter. Set aside in a warm place while you make the sauce.
The sauce:
1 small shallot, peeled, trimmed, finely chopped, rinsed, and dried
2 teaspoons coarsely crushed black pepper
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cups homemade unsalted beef stock or storebought low-sodium beef broth
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
Remove as much grease from the liquid in the roasting pan as possible and place the pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, just until translucent. Add the pepper and orange zest, sauté for a minute more, and then deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar, cooking and stirring until the vinegar just about evaporates. Add the red wine and cook down again until the pan is almost dry. Add the sugar and beef stock and cook at a boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl the butter into the sauce.
To serve: Slice the loins into 12 to 16 slices and arrange them attractively on a platter. Moisten with the sauce, and serve with the spiced rutabaga.