Lockdown Recipe of the Day: Tuscan-style Venison Fillet

A couple of years ago, while doing some work in Tuscany, I had dinner at a small little “Osteria” in a tiny little village, the name of which escapes me. I had a beef rump done in a style similar to this. I was blown away by the range of flavours and the simple complexity of the dish. I never did get the recipe but tried to work out different versions of it over the years until I finally came up with this one. The addition of proper air dried salami is very important here. You can use any well aged venison or beef steak such a fillet, sirloin or rump. I prefer a nice piece of Kudu fillet myself, but any good steak will do.

Perfect for having a group of friends around on a winter’s evening. Oh right, well, there’s always Zoom, in which case your guests will have to cook their own. Buon appetit.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

20 ml olive oil

20 ml Butter

100g Onion, chopped

6 bay leaves

1 ml coarse ground black pepper

10 ml garlic, finely chopped

250 ml Chunky tomato sauce

450ml red wine (if you're out completely of it at this point, this may have to wait till Monday... sorry)

350ml cream

1 whole kudu fillet (or steaks of your choice)

8 slices of Salami

100g Parmesan grated

100g Mozzarella grated

Method

Combine olive oil and butter in a saucepan, once butter is melted add onions, garlic, bay leaves and black pepper. Sauté until onions are translucent.

Add tomatoes and fry for 5 mins, then add red wine and allow to simmer until reduced by half.

Slowly add the cream so as not to split, once all the cream is added, bring to the boil, remove and set aside.

Grill your fillet to just below your desired doneness and place into the saucepan with the sauce. (Don’t overcook it as it will cook further in the saucepan) place slices of salami on to meat and spoon over with sauce and then cover with the cheeses.

Place under a hot grill for about 5 mins or until the cheese has browned

Serve in thick slices with lots of cheese and sauce. Great with crispy, crunchy hot roasted vegetables. DM

DM/TGIFood

First published in Gordon Wright's book Karoo Food (Struik Lifestyle).

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