Stuffed Leg of Venison with Chestnut and Nut Crust.

Preparations:

1. Roe deer boning and dressing (chop up bones, remove tendons and connective tissue, store), do it yourself or from the butcher. Boil chestnuts (preferably in steam), cool, chop. Bacon in slices, then in small cubes, or spin through the grinder with the coarse slice. Lightly roast walnuts, chop finely, peel garlic and shallot, chop finely. Wash all herbs, shake dry the ones to save for the sauce, pluck the others and chop them. Save the parsley stalks, chop the leaves.

Crust & Filling:

1. The crust and the filling are the same. Heat the oil and butter, drain the bacon, add the shallot and garlic, stir, add the walnuts, chestnuts, herbs, spices, salt and pepper, simmer for about 10 minutes on a mild heat. Cool down. Beat the egg white lightly until it starts to foam, mix into the cold chestnut mass.
2. Spread out the roe deer, spread over half of the chestnut mixture, roll up tightly, tie. Heat a little oil and fry the leg brown on all sides, remove. Press the rest of the chestnut mixture well onto the smooth side of the leg. Put it in a roasting pan equipped with a grid (not the case with me, I had used it differently) and slide it into the oven preheated to 120 ° C, insert the thermometer probe and program it to 75 ° C (my guests don’t like bloody meat, for mine Family are 72 ° C max. Ok).

The sauce :

1. Fry the bones, tendons, connective tissue and silver skin in a little oil until they are hot and brown. Quarter the onion without peeling and the garlic without peeling, just mash it a little and add the tomato paste, fry with Deglaze with a little red wine and reduce. Repeat the process several times. Finely chopped vegetables, add the herbs, mustard seeds and juniper berries and fry for a moment. Add the rest of the wine and the stock and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Remove the bones and vegetables, sift the sauce through a fine sieve. If it is too thin, mix it with a little binding agent or cornstarch with a little wine and stir in.

Serving:

1. When the club has reached approx. 70 ° C, increase the temperature to 200 ° C to harden the crust, otherwise it will be too soft. Take out the leg, leave to rest in the oven for about 10 minutes with the door open. Carefully cut with a sharp knife. Serve each serving with a little crust. There was also red cabbage and Knöpfli (spaetzli) for the guests. The wine is a red Corbière “Des Monts Noirs” from the South of France.