Venison Wellington (English)

With a robust, gamey flavour, venison loin is the perfect alternative to beef in a classic Wellington, and stands up well to the rich mushroom duxelle and buttery puff pastry layers.

Venison Wellington:
loin of venison, cleaned with sinew removed (500 g)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Mushroom Duxelle:
butter
button mushrooms (250 g)
4 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Madeira (100 mL)
4 Tbsp. double cream
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Crêpes:
all-purpose flour, unbleached (150 g)
2 eggs
milk (140 mL)
oil

Filling and Pastry:
8 large spinach leaves
puff pastry (400 g)

Egg Wash:
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. milk

For the Venison:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, season the loin with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Turn every 1-2 minutes to colour the loin on all sides, until it is evenly browned and rare in the centre. Remove from the pan and refrigerate.

For the Duxelles:
Melt the butter in the same pan as the venison was used for, add the chopped mushrooms and sauté until golden brown. Remove from the pan and keep to one side.

Add the shallots and chopped garlic to the pan. Cook until soft then add the mushrooms again and cook quickly until the liquid evaporates. Add the Madeira and boil until reduced by half.

Add the cream and cook until the mixture is thick and beginning to darken. Season with salt and pepper and leave to one side.

For the Crêpes:
Whisk together the flour, eggs and milk to make a smooth batter.

Heat a frying pan and add a drop of oil. Once the oil is hot, pour in a small amount of batter to cover the base in a very thin layer and cook until golden on the underside

Flip the crêpes over and cook the other side. Repeat the process again until all of the mixture is used up, keeping the cooked crêpes to one side

For the Filling:
Quickly blanch the spinach leaves in boiling water and then cool in iced water. Dry the leaves well.

Assembly:
Lay a sheet of cling film on a board and lay 3 crêpes onto it, overlapping so that they cover the cling film. Lay the spinach leaves on top in a single layer.

Spread the mushroom duxelle over the spinach in another even layer and place the venison on top. Roll the crêpes, spinach and mushroom mix around the venison, using the cling film to wrap it tightly. Leave to cool in the fridge, preferably overnight.

Roll out the puff pastry into a thin sheet around ¼ cm thick - if it is pre-rolled it will need to be rolled thinner.

Remove the Wellington from the cling film, lay on top of the pastry and brush the borders of the pastry with egg wash. Roll the Wellington in the pastry, sealing the joining edge with a little extra egg wash. Roll the Wellington so the seal is on the underside, place on a baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, Gas Mark 4).

Place the Wellington into the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. To tell if it is cooked, place a thin metal skewer in the centre of the venison, it should be slightly warm (which means the internal temperature is about 49-52°C)

Remove the Wellington from the oven, rest for at least 10 minutes in a warm place. Slice and serve up onto plates.

Makes 4 servings.