Pan-fried venison fillet with smoky aubergine & peppers
Venison / All Seasons / Dariush Lolaiy / Serves: 4

700 g venison fillets
3 aubergines
2 red peppers
1 juice of a lemon
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 tbsp unsweetened natural Greek yoghurt
2 knobs of unsalted butter
1 small handful coriander leaves
2 tbsp pine nuts, cooked in butter and seasoned with salt

Marinade
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Source

Cazador
p.128

Prep
Make a marinade by mixing the ground cumin, pimentón, garlic clove and the extra-virgin olive oil. Season the venison with salt and pepper and rub it with the marinade 48 hours in advance of cooking, cover and refrigerate.

For the aubergine & peppers
Scorch the aubergines and peppers over a low open flame or grill, until blackened. Put the peppers in a sealed container or plastic bag to sweat off the charred skin. Peel, remove the core and cut the flesh into strips. Season with salt and extra-virgin olive oil. Keep the aubergines on a low flame, turning every 3 minutes. They will collapse on themselves after about 15 minutes – continue until the skin is completely charred. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Using a spoon, scrape the flesh from the eggplant onto a chopping board. Season with salt, lemon juice, flat-leaf parsley and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil, then chop roughly.

For the venison
In a hot pan with cooking fat, cook the venison for about 1 minute on each side the internal temperature should be about 33°C. Rest loosely covered with tin foil for 4 minutes.

To serve
Slice the venison against the grain and arrange it on a platter with the aubergines, peppers and yoghurt. Heat a little butter in a pan until it starts to brown. Remove from the heat and pour over the venison and yoghurt. Finish with coriander, pine nuts and a dusting of pimentón.