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Venison With Seasonal Greens & Barley

Venison tenderloins are a beautiful meat cut - treat them like steak and fry them with butter and aromatics. These venison loin fillets are served with barley and seasonal greens; the rich game meat is perfectly balanced by the earthiness of the barley. Use wild game for a really sustainable supper

10 minutes prep, 40 minutes cook

Serves 4

Ingredients

200g pearl barley, washed in a sieve

Sea salt and black pepper

3 knobs of unsalted butter

450g venison loin, red or roe deer

A trickle of cold-pressed rapeseed oil (or other cooking oil)

A few hard herbs, like thyme and a bay leaf or two

1 savoy cabbage, or your favourite seasonal greens

Method

Drain the barley and place in a pot. Cover with water, season with salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 mins, or until just soft. Drain and add a tablespoon of butter on top. Keep in a warm place.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan on a medium heat and season the venison with salt and pepper. Fry in a trickle of rapeseed oil with a knob of butter and some thyme. Baste as you go, cooking for 5-10 mins until golden brown, according to how rare you like your venison.

Allow the venison to rest for at least 5 mins before carving – give it a quick flash under the grill to make it piping hot again if you'd like.

Cut the cabbage into strips and wilt it down in a pot with a knob of butter and salt and pepper. I like it quite crunchy.

To serve, carve the venison and arrange on a plate. Sprinkle with the barley and drape the cabbage over and around the meat. The rich flavour of the venison loin fillets pairs perfectly with grains and greens. Delicious and simple - one of our top seasonal recipes for autumn.