Roast Deer w.Dumplings
1 hind leg of venison, shank removed
Salt
8 garlic cloves, peeled/cut into thick slivers
Sesame oil or other flavourful oil
8fl oz of red wine, stock or water
2 tablespoons minced sage
2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
BREAD DUMPLINGS
8 to 10 slices of old bread (about 10 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
10fl.oz milk
3 slices bacon
2 oz minced onion or shallot
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 eggs, lightly beaten
__________
Take the venison leg out of the fridge and salt well on all sides.
Let it sit on a cutting board for 30 minutes before proceeding.
After 30 minutes have elapsed, preheat the oven to 450°F. Take a sharp knife with a narrow point and jab holes all over the leg of venison, tucking a sliver of garlic into each hole. You can use more or less garlic, depending on your taste.
Pat venison dry, massage the oil all over it.
Set the leg of venison on a rack in a roasting pan and pour enough wine, stock or water into the bottom of the roasting pan to just moisten the bottom.
Put the venison in the oven and roast until it is nicely browned, but no more than 20 to 25 minutes.
Take the venison out of the oven and drop the temperature to 350°F.
Sprinkle the minced sage and black pepper all over the roast; use tongs to pick it up if it is too hot.
If you want, drizzle a little more oil over the top of the roast.
Adding the spices at this point prevents them from burning.
Set the venison back into the oven and roast until the deepest part of the meat reaches the temperature you want: If you pull the venison at 125°F, it will be rare once it has rested. 130°F is closer to medium.
Do not let the venison cook past 145°F under any circumstances, or it will get tough and gray. How long will this take? At least 25 more minutes, and up to another hour.
Check the temperature after 25 minutes, then every 10 minutes after that. A general rule is about 20 minutes per pound at 350°F.
When the venison has hit the temperature you want, move it to a cutting board and tent it loosely with foil & a tea towel. Don’t carve it for at least 15 minutes; 20 minutes is better. Carve and serve.
Tips on Roasting:
Either bury an oven-proof thermometer into the meat so you can read it periodically, or make sure you keep using the same hole you punch into the venison each time you test the temperature. This will keep too much juice from running out.
When taking the temperature of the interior of the meat, be sure the meat thermometer does not touch bone.
Baste the venison every 10 to 15 minutes with more oil. Oil conducts heat better than water, and it will moisten the meat.
DUMPLINGS
After you take the venison out of the fridge, break up or chop the stale bread and put it into a bowl. Pour lukewarm milk over the bread and let it stand while you’re getting the venison ready to roast.
If it looks like there is not enough milk, add a little water.
Fry the bacon in a small skillet and remove when crispy. Chop it fine. Saute the onion in the bacon fat until it’s nice and brown.
Mix the bacon and onion in a small bowl and allow to cool. Once it’s cool, mix in the parsley and marjoram.
When the venison goes into the oven, set a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil. Once it boils, drop the heat to a simmer.
Mix the bacon, onions, parsley and marjoram in with the bread. Make sure to break up any large pieces. Wait until the venison is resting to cook the dumplings.
When it’s time, add the beaten eggs and mix well to combine. If the batter is too wet to form dumplings, add breadcrumbs a tablespoon at a time until you can roll the batter into a ball with your hands. Make sure your hands are wet or the batter will stick. Gently lower each dumpling into the simmering water. Cover the pot. Once they float back to the surface, let them cook a min or 2. Slotted spoon and serve.
Cranberry sauce is good!