Spiced Plum and Venison salad

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Medium

Preparation time: 45 mins

Cooking Time: 45 mins

• 550-600g venison loin
• Venison rub
• ½ stick cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 1 star anis
• 4 juniper berries
• 3 peppercorns

Poaching the plums:

• 500ml red wine
• 100g sugar
• 6 plums, not too ripe
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 4 peppercorns
• 1 star anis
• 2 juniper berries

For cooking and dressing:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the salad:

• 75g walnut halves
• Salad leaves

Make a dry marinade by crushing 2 cloves, ½ cinnamon stick, 1 star anis, 3 peppercorns, 4 juniper berries and a teaspoon of salt in a pestle and mortar. Grid to a dust. Rub the venison with the mix and leave to marinade for at least an hour or overnight.

Pour the wine, sugar and spices into a pan and bring to the boil. Cut the plums in half, remove the stone and poach slowly for 20mins.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large non stick pan on a medium heat. Add venison and cook until slightly coloured, turn the meat and do the same again. Place on a oven tray and cook for 8-10mins for rare or 12-14mins for medium. Remove from the oven and rest for 10mins before slicing thinly.

In the venison pan, add the balsamic vinegar and 3 tbsp of the plum juices. Scrape the juices and turn off the heat once reduced. This is the salad dressing.