EGGing with seasonal ingredients: wild mushrooms, venison steak with pumpkin, and a caramel and chestnut tart

STARTER

Toast with leek butter and fried wild mushrooms

MAIN COURSE

Venison steak prepared in leek, with grilled pumpkin, parsnip and cranberry compote

DESSERT

Caramel and chestnut tart

Toast (one day in advance)

Preferably a day in advance, slice the white part of the leek as finely as possible. Mix into the butter together with the cumin seed.

Venison Steak (on the day itself - part 1)

Cut the skin from the steak, or have the poulterer do this for you. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Remove the roots from the leeks, remove the outer layers and blanch the leek leaves for approx. 30 seconds in the boiling water until they soften. Drain, cool in ice water and drain again. Let it drain well.

Ignite the Big Green Egg and heat it to 150°C. Sprinkle the steak with pepper and salt, and wrap it in the barding bacon. Place enough leek leaves lengthwise and somewhat overlapping on the worktop so that the surface is enough to cover the steak on all sides. Place another layer of leek leaves widthwise on top of the first layer, followed by another layer lengthwise. Repeat until there are no more leek leaves. Place the steak on top of the leek lengthwise, roll the leek leaves up around it and tie everything up with butcher’s twine so that it forms a roulade. Place the convEGGtor in the EGG, set the Rectangular Drip Pan on top and pour a small layer of water into it. Place the Stainless Steel Grid in the EGG, close the lid and let it heat up.

Place the roulade on the grid above the Drip Pan. Close the lid and leave to cook for 3 hours. Check regularly whether there is still water in the Drip Pan, refilling if necessary. This will ensure that the juices won’t burn and that a delicious gravy will form.

Meanwhile, wash the pumpkin and parsnips and cut them into segments. Remove the pumpkin’s seeds, generously sprinkle the vegetables with sunflower seed oil and store covered in the refrigerator.

Caramel and chestnut tart (part 1)

Cut the butter into blocks and add it to a mixing bowl together with the other ingredients for the crust. Kneed well, form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Leave to cool at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, submerge the can of condensed milk in a pan of water. Bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 1.5 hours so that it forms a caramel. Ensure that the can remains submerged in water in order to prevent it from exploding. Remove the can from the water and leave to cool for at least 1 hour.

Venison steak (part 2)

Remove the roulade from the grid. Remove the grid from the EGG using the Grid Gripper and use the EGGmitt to remove the Rectangular Drip Pan from the convEGGtor. Return the grid to the EGG, close the lid and heat to 180ºC in preparation for the tart. Leave the roulade and the gravy to cool in the Drip pan and keep covered in the refrigerator until it is time to complete preparation.

Caramel and chestnut tart (part 2)

Score the chestnuts using a small sharp knife and spread them over the Perforated Cooking Grid. Place the Perforated Cooking Grid with the chestnuts on the grid and close the lid. Roast the chestnuts for 15-20 minutes. Turn them regularly.

Meanwhile, line a low-sided baking tray with parchment paper. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and roll it out on a floured worktop until it is a maximum of ½ cm thick. Line the tray with the crust, cut away the excess (which is perfect for making cookies later) and prick the crust with a fork. Use The Pit Mitt BBQ Glove to remove the Round Perforated Porcelain Grid with the chestnuts from the grid and leave the chestnuts to cool. Place the baking tray on the grid, close the lid of the EGG and bake the crust for approx. 35 minutes until done. Peel the chestnuts. Extinguish the EGG or get it ready to prepare the toast.

Venison steak

Place the cranberries, sugar, cinnamon stick and a dash of water in a fireproof saucepan. Less water is required if you are using frozen cranberries, as these will release more liquid than the fresh variety. The water will ensure that the compote has the right consistency. Place the saucepan on the grid, close the lid and leave to cook for approx. 15 minutes until the cranberries have split open.

After 5 minutes, place the segments of parsnip and pumpkin on the grid. Grill them on both sides. The pumpkin will be ready after 8-10 minutes; the parsnip after approx. 12 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the roulade into slices and place them in the gravy in the Rectangular Drip Pan. Cover with aluminium foil.

Remove the vegetables from the grid and keep them warm under aluminium foil. Place the Rectangular Drip Pan on the grid to warm the meat and the gravy. Remove the cinnamon stick from the compote. Serve the meat, vegetables and compote on the plates and drizzle the meat with the gravy.

Caramel and chestnut tart

Open the can of condensed milk, add it together with the whisky to a fireproof saucepan and heat on the EGG’s grid. Mix in the roasted chestnuts and spread over the crust. Leave to cool somewhat and sprinkle with some sea salt. Cut into slices and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.