Bonus Recipe - Venison

It's one of my favorite posts to do!  BONUS RECIPE time!

 

So it was a dark and boring Saturday night.  I was getting ready to go out with some friends, John and Jenn were getting ready for a quiet dinner at home when they got a phone call from a very good friend of ours who is a professional chef and fellow lover of all things food!  And he informs them that he has fresh venison and he's 3 exits away, and would they have any interest in some... well, hell yes!  So being the awful friend I am, I blew off my plans and high-tailed it over to J&J's for an impromptu venison dinner!

 

 

Entree - Grilled Venison with Currant-Brandy Sauce

 

 

Okay, so this was one of those nights where we just kind of "winged it".  We sauteed up some chopped onions and minced garlic with a couple teaspoons of dried thyme.  Then we added about 1 cup of red wine, let it reduce by half, then added 1/2 cup brandy and 1/4 cup currant jelly and let it thicken up.  Total sauce time - approximately 20 minutes to create a syrupy reduction.  The venison was marinated in a mixture of worcestire, soy, salt and pepper for approx. an hour.  Then it was grilled 6 minutes per side to a perfect medium-rare (more on the rare side.)  While the sauce was sweet, and I wouldn't put it over a normal steak, it was divine for the gamey flavor of the venison!  We paired it with some baby potatoes and some peas sauteed with bacon.  What a spectacular meal!

 

 

Wine - 1995 Agricola San Felice Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio

 

Wine Spectator - 91/100

 

 

This stunning ruby red wine from J&J's stockpile had exploding scents of vanilla, violet, and dark fruits.  On the palate, it was rich and full of blackberries and raspberries with a medium amount of tannins and a lingering finish.  It was absolutely perfect against the venison and fruit sauce!