Individual venison wellingtons

These beautiful parcels of burnished puff pastry hugging a filling of tender venison, red onions and chicken liver pate are a fantastic alternative to the more traditional beef wellington. The meat inside remains blushing pink, while the pastry is crisp and yiedling. Serve it with green beans and a rich red wine sauce and treat yourself to something special.

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Medium

Time: 1.5 hrs

Ingredients

4 venison steaks (135g each)
1 large red onion, finely sliced
4 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp. of brandy
1 clove garlic, minced
60g smooth chicken liver pate
2 x 375g packs ready-rolled puff pastry
1 large egg, beaten for an egg wash
A knob of butter for frying
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Hints and Tips

Not all venison is the same

There is a common misconception that all vension tastes the same. However, the flavour can vary greatly depending on which breed of deer it comes from as well as the age, the sex and even the time of year it was shot. Therefore if you are buying your meat from a butcher or game dealer it is worth asking what type of vension you are purchasing. If you are not keen on very strong, gamey flavours for example, then you will probably want to avoid red deer and go for something milder such as fallow. Supermarkets tend to stock the milder variety but check the label to see if it states the provenance of the meat, that way you will get an idea of which breeds you favour flavour wise.

Individual venison wellingtons

Method

Rub the venison steaks with salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp. of oil into a hot pan, then add the venison, a knob of butter and sprig of thyme. Sear the venison for 1 minute on each side, remove from pan and leave to cool completely.
Return the pan to a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, remaining thyme (leaves only), brandy and more oil if required. Cook on a low heat for 15 minutes until soft.
Leave the onion mix to cool before blending to a smooth paste. Stir in the pate and season to taste.
Cut the pastry into 8 circles large enough to contain the steaks. These will be 4 to sit under the steaks and 4 large circles to cover them and create a parcel. Assemble the wellingtons on an oven tray lined with baking parchment.
Place a steak in the center of the smaller pastry circle and top with a generous tbsp. of the onion mix. Brush egg wash around the pastry edges and cover with the larger pastry top. Press the edges to seal and crimp with a fork. Trim off any excess pastry leaving 1cm around the edge. Repeat the process with the remaining steaks and chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins or overnight.
Cut a small cross in the top of each wellington and brush all over with the egg wash. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment and cook in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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