Living Well – Venison for the Bride

Living Well – Venison for the Bride

For the lovely bride who favors venison, nothing could be more satisfying for her wedding feast than a roast properly seasoned and glazed with fruit as sweet as her kiss. For my Betrothed, it should be the pear, for, like Her, its form and nature are of a distinct beauty that is unyielding to the will of the observer. *

The venison should, of course, be from deer, for She is magical and graceful, attributes unimaginable for the moose.

The preparation for the roast requires, like a courtship, focused attention to detail, a delightful variety of ingredients, and patience over the required time. The results are, as life with Her, most definitely worth the effort.

The ingredients:

1. Venison haunches, untrimmed, and for each 5 to 6 pounds:
2. Salt to taste (for the Bride, you should know this).
3. Pepper to taste (for the Bride, you should know this).
4. 2 tablespoons of butter.
5. A large onion or, better still, shallot, minced.
6. 2 ripe pears, diced.
7. 3 or 4 fresh sage leaves.
8. ½ cup of brandy, preferably pear.
9. 1 cup of beef stock.

The preparation:

1. Begin with a low heat oven. I prefer oak wood as it burns evenly, and its smoke offers a deep woodsy embrace, as being in Her arms.
2. Season the venison with salt and pepper and roast in pans for 3 hours.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over the medium heat of a separate oven or cookfire. Sauté the onion or shallot until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and pears, stir well to coat, and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, or until softened.
4. Deglaze with beef stock, then add the brandy, and season with salt and pepper. Raise the pan away from the heat to allow a simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, then remove from heat altogether to stand and thicken.
5. After the roast has been in for 3 hours, check for doneness, as She would like it (you should know this). Remove the sage leaves and glaze the roast lightly and allow it to rest, well covered, for half an hour. In the last ten minutes of resting, stoke up the oven to high roasting heat.
6. Return the roast to the oven until a crisp crust forms on the outside.
7. Remove from the oven, brush generously with the glaze and rest for another 15 minutes.

The presentation:

1. Slice and serve with the extra glaze.
2. Let Her pair the wine.

*This notion is derived from “Study of Two Pears” – a poem by Wallace Stevens.