The past few weeks have got me feeling like we’re springing towards Spring! I shouldn’t speak too soon, as we start lambing next month and that usually means some badly timed inclement weather!

Apart from preparations for lambing, February also brings half term, Pancake Day and Valentine’s Day. Now, we haven’t yet tried venison pancakes (have you?) but venison steak paired with a bottle of Malbec is an excellent choice for a simple and satisfying V Day meal at home. It has a lower fat content than beef steak but retains all the flavour, if not more. You must try it to believe it!

Steak is much more versatile than people give it credit for: we love it in wraps, salad, stroganoff, stir fry or, Mr Va Va’s favourite, just medium rare, sliced up and dipped in soy sauce.

We tenderise ours with a rolling pin (a few bashes on each side – it’s best to cover with tin foil/cling film/muslin to keep things tidy) and then add a little drizzle of oil and a graunch of salt and pepper. Get your pan/griddle hot and cook for 3-5 mins either side depending on thickness and your preference. Cover with foil and rest for 5-10 minutes.

If using for stir fry or similar, you can either:

• slice steaks into strips, marinade for as long as you can to aid the tenderising process (rice vinegar or sherry based marinades work well in Asian style dishes) and stir fry quickly on a high heat for a minute or 2. Remove meat and set aside while cooking your veg/rice/noodles/sauce – try this recipe for a foolproof, make ahead sauce that keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Then add meat back to warm through.
• or, as we prefer, marinade and fry steaks whole, rest, slice and then add to stir fry off the heat or just serve at the table.

Steak Frites

If you’re a fan of the classic French bistro dish, you’ll love this rich, flavoursome venison version. This recipe was created for us by Laura of Scribbling In The Kitchen. Not only is it just as tasty as its beef counterpart, it’s also a whole lot healthier.

Preparation and cooking time: 50 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 venison haunch steaks, at room temperature
450g (about 2 medium-sized) floury potatoes, peeled
sunflower oil, for deep frying
sea salt

For the marinade:
1 tsp juniper berries
1 tsp black peppercorns
sprig of thyme, leaves picked
4 tbsp olive oil
pinch of sea salt

For the sage butter:
80g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 garlic clove, crushed
about 10 sage leaves, finely chopped
pinch of sea salt

To serve:
100g watercress
extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. To make the marinade, lightly crush the juniper berries and peppercorns with the flat of a knife and place in a large shallow dish. Add the thyme leaves, oil and salt. Place the steaks in the dish and rub with the marinade, until evenly coated. Cover and set aside.
2. Cut the potatoes into matchsticks, either by hand or using a mandoline. Place in a bowl of cold water and set aside.
3. To make the sage butter, place the butter in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the garlic, sage and sea salt and mix well. Spoon the butter onto a piece of cling film. Roll into a log shape and place in the fridge.
4. Heat the sunflower oil in a large deep pan. Once the oil has reached 190°C, remove the potatoes from the water and dry thoroughly on a clean tea towel. Carefully drop the potatoes into the hot oil and fry for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. (You may need to do this in batches.) Place on a piece of kitchen paper to drain and sprinkle with salt. Place in a low oven to keep warm.
5. Heat a heavy-based frying pan until just starting to smoke. Remove the steaks from the marinade, brushing off any juniper berries or peppercorns, and add to the pan. Cook to your liking, allowing a crust to form before turning. Remove from the pan, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
6. Place the watercress in a bowl and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Toss.
7. Remove the sage butter from the fridge. Unwrap and slice into rounds.
8. Top the steaks with sage butter and serve alongside the watercress and fries.

Laura’s Top Tips

• Don’t be tempted to skip the marinade – it’s quick and easy and results in super-tender steaks. If you’ve got time to spare, you can leave the steaks to marinate for up to 2 hours.
• If you don’t have a thermometer, test the temperature of the oil by dropping in a small cube of bread. If the oil is hot enough, the bread will turn golden in 10 seconds.
• Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the steaks, but a rough guide is 3 minutes on each side for rare; 4 minutes for medium-rare; and 5 minutes for medium.

We hope you are able to wow your loved ones with Laura’s fabulously simple recipe. Thank you, Laura!