Ingredients
- (For the jam) 1kg damson fruit, 250g caster sugar, 200ml water, large pinch of crushed juniper berries, 2 measures of sloe gin.
- (For the tartare) 1 shallot, 30g baby capers, 30g cornichons, 300g venison loin (trimmed), 2 tsp rapeseed mayo, 2 tsp rapeseed oil, pinch crushed juniper berries, Worcester sauce, salt and pepper, Tabasco sauce, 2 tbsps chopped parsley.
- (For the Scotch egg) 150g haggis, 100g sausage meat, pinch crushed juniper berries, salt and pepper, 4 quails’ eggs, flour, 1 egg (beaten), white bread crumbs.
Prep time: 40 mins
Cook time: 20 mins (jam), 3 mins (Scotch egg)
And to drink? Beer sommelier Jane Peyton recommends pairing Adnams Tally Ho with this dish. She says: "You've got real fruitiness with this beer, which is a lovely counterpoint to the damson and juniper. There's also enough hops to cut through the texture of the meat."
Method
Sloe gin jam
- Place ingredients into a saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the damsons have broken down. Take off the heat, pass through a fine sieve and allow to cool. When cool, the consistency should be that of a thick sauce
Tartare
- Place the venison in the freezer until firm, then chop into small cubes. Meanwhile, finely dice the shallot and cornichons then mix with the baby capers
- Mix with the venison cubes. Add three drops of Tabasco and two dashes of Worcestershire sauce, the rapeseed mayo and oil, and finely chopped parsley, and mix again
- Add salt, pepper and juniper to taste. Add more Tabasco if you like it to have a kick. Push the mix into individual rings and press out, or place into one serving bowl to share
Haggis Scotch egg
- Mix haggis, sausage meat and juniper in a bowl. Season well and put to one side.
- Boil the quail eggs for two minutes and 30 seconds. Cool in iced water and peel.
- Dust the eggs with flour to help the sausage meat stick to them
- Flatten one sixth of the haggis mix on the palm of your hand and wrap around an egg. Repeat.
- Pass the eggs through flour and beaten egg, then roll in oats until covered.
- Deep fry for about two minutes and 30 seconds at 190°C. Leave to rest before serving.