Venison Wellington with Horseradish Emulsion
If you want to get away from turkey or goose for Christmas, there is no better celebratory dish than a Venison Wellington. This lovely recipe combines succulent tender venison fillet with a red onion compote, then a layer of green herb pancake in addition to the crispy pastry crust. The pancake is a bit of extra work but well worth making, as it protects the pastry from becoming soggy. Our sauce is a horseradish emulsion, similar to hollandaise but with a bit of bite.
Ingredients Serves 6–8 (with second helpings)
1.2kg venison fillet, trimmed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a drizzle of rapeseed oil
For the onion compote
3 red onions, sliced
80g raisins
1 tsp ground mixed spice
80ml port
For the pancakes
50g plain flour
a pinch of salt
1 egg
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, chervil or basil
100ml milk
For the crust
400g ready-rolled puff pastry
flour, for dusting
1 egg, beaten
For the emulsion
40ml white wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp horseradish relish
150g butter
Method
Season the venison with salt and pepper, rub with a little oil. Heat a heavy-based dry pan over a high heat, and sear the meat on all sides for 1–2 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
Prepare the compote. Put the onion, raisins, spices and port into a small pan over a moderate heat, bring to the boil, reduce the heat, simmer until the wine has evaporated; allow to cool.
Make the pancakes. Whisk the flour, salt and egg together, add the flour and herbs, continue to whisk into a smooth batter.
Heat a non-stick pan over a moderate heat and rub with a little oil. Ladle in about a quarter of the pancake mix, cook one side, flip over and cook the other side. Transfer the pancake to a cooling rack, then repeat the process to make 3 more.
Flatten out the ready-rolled pastry on a floured work surface and trim to a rectangle measuring 30cm x 20cm.
Place the pancakes on the pastry to cover it completely, spoon the red onion mixture along the centre and place the venison on top.
Carefully wrap the pancake layer over the meat and tuck it in. Now wrap the pastry over to form a tight cylinder, seal the join with a dab of water, turn the parcel over, then tuck and seal the ends under.
Cut the pastry offcuts into 1cm wide strips, brush them with water and lay them across the wellington in a lattice pattern. Glaze the pastry with beaten egg and transfer the wellington on to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Store in the fridge until ready for final cooking.
Prepare the emulsion. Put the vinegar and lemon juice into a small pan over a moderate heat, boil rapidly until reduced by half. Add the butter to the pan and stir until it has melted. Put the egg yolks, mustard and horseradish relish into a bowl set over a pan of simmering hot water; season with salt and pepper. Beat the egg mixture with a hand whisk for one minute. While still beating, slowly pour the hot butter mixture into the bowl a little at a time. Continue to beat until the sauce emulsifies and thickens, then taste and season again.
Remove the wellington from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 200C. Roast the wellington in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
Keep it warm, allowing it to rest for 20 minutes before carving and serving with a generous dollop of the horseradish emulsion.
This recipe is from An English Vineyard Cookbook, by the Gladwin Family.
Each month includes a seasonal salad and features locally grown ingredients, stunning images and artwork, together with wine recommendations, foraging advice and a rare insight into a year behind the scenes at a family run vineyard.
The cookbook is now available and copies signed by Peter Gladwin are exclusively available at the vineyard cellar door, at our Local & Wild London restaurants or our online shop. Order your copy for £25 from the vineyard online shop →
All proceeds will go to the City Harvest charity.
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