as the evenings draw in it’s exactly the sort of supper I look forward to sharing with friends – preferably in front of a roaring log fire, with lots of candles and autumn foliage scattered on the table and bottles of warming red wine
STORIES · 30.09.24
Food | Recipes | Well-Being
As summer fades and the burnished tones of autumn streak the fields and woodlands, we wait to see whether we will have a fruitful, abundant harvest. This is of course a pivotal time on the farm – the culmination of months of work as we gather the fruits of this year’s planting, sowing and tending to store as food for the winter. It is a moment of nervous anticipation for an organic farm, but also of celebration.
With this is mind, here is a special seasonal recipe from my new book, Daylesford Living: Inspired by Nature. To me, it is a true taste of autumn’s landscape; blackberries foraged from the hedgerows, hearty cabbage from the farm’s market garden and rich organic venison from our estate in Staffordshire. As the evenings draw in, it’s exactly the sort of supper I look forward to sharing with friends – preferably in front of a roaring log fire, with lots of candles and autumn foliage scattered on the table and bottles of warming red wine being shared around. A harvest supper to toast nature’s delicious bounty.
Serves 6
For the pickled blackberries:
40g caster sugar
40ml red wine or port
40ml red wine vinegar
40ml water
4 star anise
2 rosemary sprigs
handful of freshly foraged blackberries
For the venison:
1 litre beef stock or bone broth
2 large or 4 small beetroot, washed, trimmed and halved lengthways
2 tsp redcurrant jelly
600g venison loin
4 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed
4 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
sea salt and black pepper
For the creamed cabbage:
2 small carrots, finely diced
4 slices streaky bacon, sliced
1/2 Savoy cabbage, finely sliced
100ml double cream
to me, it is a true taste of autumn’s landscape
Pickle the blackberries. In a pan, combine the sugar, red wine, red wine vinegar, water, star anise and rosemary. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the blackberries, set aside to cool and infuse for half an hour.
Next, place the beef stock in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer gently with the lid off until the liquid has reduced by half and is beginning to thicken a little. Whisk through the redcurrant jelly, season to taste and keep warm.
Season the beetroot generously with salt and pepper, wrap in foil and bake in the oven for around 30-40 minutes or until just tender. Set aside to cool slightly before unwrapping and removing the skin once cool enough to handle. Discard the skin and re-wrap in the foil to keep warm.
Blanch the carrot in boiling water until just tender. Fry the bacon in a pan until crispy, then add the cabbage with a splash of water. Simmer until the cabbage is just cooked but still retains its colour. Add the carrots, remove from the heat and set aside.
Set an ovenproof pan over a high heat and add the venison loin. Sear on all sides until golden before transferring to the oven to cook through for 12-15 minutes or until medium rare. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest.
Return the cabbage to the heat and add the double cream. Cook until the cream thickens and the vegetables have heated through, then check the seasoning before dividing between plates. Roll the venison in the crushed pink peppercorns and thyme leaves and slice. Arrange on top of the cabbage, dividing the beetroot between the plates.
Pour over the warm jus. Strain the blackberries from their pickling liquid and arrange over the top of each plate before serving.
You can find more seasonal recipes and tabletop inspiration in Daylesford Living: Inspired by Nature.
