Haunch of Venison with Madeira Sauce

Ingredients:

1 haunch of venison (about 5kg) boned and rolled
2 carrots
2 onions<
1 bulb of garlic
4 cloves
10 juniper berries
1 bouquet garni (aromatic mix made of ½ leek, celery stick, thyme, bay leaf, all tied up with string)
5ml olive oil
50g butter
10ml red wine vinegar
250ml port
300ml madeira wine
500ml red wine
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Method:

In a large roasting pan, brown the venison on each side until nicely coloured. Season the meat well then set aside to rest.

Next roughly chop the vegetables, add them to the roasting pan and cook them off in the pan juices until nicely caramelized. Add the vinegar and stir the vegetables continually until the liquid has evaporated completely. At this point add the Madeira and cook until it has reduced to a syrupy consistency.

Next add the red wine and cook it for 10 minutes or until the alcohol contained has evaporated, then add the stock and the meat.

Transfer the meat back to the roasting dish and cover with a lid (or with foil). Place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) and cook the meat for 20 minutes per kilo for a rare roast (ad an additional 50 minutes to the cooking time for a medium roast). At the end of this cooking time cooking set the meat aside to rest. Pass the cooking liquid trough a sieve and reduce it to 1/3. Rectify the seasoning, whisk the butter into the sauce and serve as soon as possible.

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