Foraged Recipes with Alan Bergo
You can use many different cuts like this along with your favorite mushrooms if chanterelles aren’t available. It’s a great way to use cuts from the leg that are often overlooked. Serves 2.
Ingredients
Two four ounce slices of venison leg roast about 2 fingers thick, ideally from the top round, but bottom round or eye round work too
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2-4 oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms, depending on how many you have
2 Tablespoons beef fat or high heat cooking oil
¼ cup brandy
½ cup heavy cream
Pinch of chopped fresh thyme
1 small shallot, about 2 oz, finely chopped or cut into ¼ inch dice
Pinch of fresh cut chives, for serving (optional)
Method
With a sharp paring or utility knife, butterfly the venison steaks, then lightly pound with a Jacard or a meat mallet.
Season the venison with salt on one side only to prevent over seasoning them. Season both sides lightly with pepper and thyme.
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a 10 inch stainless steel pan until lightly smoking. Although you generally don’t want to cook dairy in cast iron it can work in a pinch here.
Add the venison steaks and brown on the seasoned side on high heat, this should take about a minute. Quickly flip the steak and kiss the other side for a moment, then remove to a tray lined with a paper towel to rest while you make the sauce.
Turn the heat to medium. Add the chanterelles or other mushrooms to the pan with the remaining fat and cook until lightly browned and wilted, about 5-8 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt, then add the shallots and cook until starting to brown around the edges.
Deglaze the pan with brandy and reduce by half, then reduce the heat to medium, add the cream and simmer until lightly thickened. Double check the seasoning of the sauce for salt and adjust until it tastes good to you. Turn the heat off the pan.
Add the venison steaks back to the pan to coat with the sauce and quickly warm them up, adding a splash of water if the pan gets dry and reducing for a moment on medium heat. Serve the venison steaks topped with the mushrooms and sauce, garnish with a sprinkle of fresh chives and serve.