The trick to perfecting this celebratory dish is cooking the pastry to a golden brown without overcooking the meat. These tips will ensure you serve up a dish that is perfect in every way. Medium rare venison all wrapped up in those delicious smoky mushrooms, bacon and light as a feather flaky pastry. So worth the effort.
Sear the venison hot and fast then let any meat juices drain for 2-3 hours before chilling down in the freezer for 2 hours.
Heat your baking dish first to ensure the bottom of the pastry cooks to a crisp. The Ironclad Pan turned upside down is perfect for this.
Cook in the lower rung of your oven.
THE WELLINGTON
400 g Silver Fern Farms Venison
Salt and pepper
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
3 T course ground Gourmet Direct mustard
1 pkt Gourmet Direct smoked mushrooms
3 small shallots diced finely
3 T thyme, finely chopped
6 slices free range streaky bacon
¾ sheet Gourmet Direct flaky butter pastry
1 egg yolk beaten
Rock salt and extra thyme to garnish
THE GRAVY
1 c red wine
1 c water
2 T Pomegranate balsamic drizzle
2 T concentrated beef stock
1 large sprig rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
50 g butter at room temperature, chopped into small chunks
PREPARING THE MEAT
Remove venison from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Melt butter and olive oil in your Ironclad Pan until nearly smoking and sear the venison quickly on all sides. Remove meat from the pan but don’t clean the pan!
Place meat on a rack and leave covered out of the fridge for 2-3 hours to drain juices. Pat dry then brush with mustard, season well and wrap tightly in clingfilm to form a roll. Freeze for 2 hours.
THE FILLING
In your Ironclad Pan, and over a low heat, sauté the shallots for 5 minutes (in the butter and oil left over from searing the meat). Add the well-drained and finely chopped smoked mushrooms and fresh thyme. Mix and remove from pan and let cool. Don’t clean the pan!
Lay a piece of clingfilm on the bench and arrange the 6 slices of bacon, slightly overlapping, to form a rectangle.
Evenly spread the mushroom mixture over the bacon. Pop the venison bacon roll at the thin end of the bacon closest to you and roll up. Then roll tightly in clingfilm and pop back in the freezer for 30 mins.
Heat oven to 200°C.
THE ASSEMBLY
Lightly flour your bench top and lay the pastry on top. Brush well with egg wash.
Lay the venison bacon roll in the middle of the pastry and bring each side of the pastry up into the middle to create a seam. Pinch together tightly to seal. Trim any excess pastry off the ends and pinch well to seal. You don’t want any of that venison juice escaping!
With a sharp knife, lightly score the pastry - don’t cut right through - and make 3 small vent holes at the top of the seam to let any steam escape.
Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with salt and fresh thyme and return to the fridge uncovered for half an hour.
THE GRAVY
In your Ironclad Pan combine all the ingredients except for the butter and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Strain to remove the herbs, return the jus to the pan and whisk in the butter lumps one at a time till slightly thickened and glossy. Remove from pan to serving jug. You can now clean your pan!
THE COOK
Heat your Ironclad Pan over a medium flame for 3 minutes. Turn the pan upside down and spray the bottom with a little olive oil. Lay a piece of baking paper cut to the same circumference as the bottom of your pan on top and press down so it sticks. Gently place the venison roll on top and carefully place in the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees then turn the oven down to 180°C and bake for a further 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and a meat thermometer reads 57 degrees for medium rare. Cook another 5 minutes for medium. Don’t overcook.
Carefully remove the Wellington from the oven and pop on a rack to rest for 10 minutes whilst you steam your beans and macerate 1 medium onion sliced finely in 2 T white vinegar and a sprinkling of salt.
TO SERVE
Slice in thick chunks and serve with steaming hot gravy, green beans and red onions.
Now taste that Ironclad Pan love.
