Venison with blueberry sauce

Preparation

Put about three quarters of the blueberries in a pan, add the apple juice, cover and simmer until soft then liquidise or push through a sieve. Stir in the soy sauce. 

Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the venison 3-4 minutes each side, depending how rare you like your meat. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining oil and cook the shallots gently for 5 minutes until softened. Pour in the blueberry sauce and stir in the cranberry jelly and thyme. When simmering, return the steaks to the pan and add the reserved blueberries. Cook for 2 minutes more until the blueberries are soft but hold their shape.

Serve with broccoli or sugar snaps and a mix of mashed parsnip and swede.

Tip: Sear the venison steaks quickly on both sides so the juices are sealed inside, then lower the heat and continue cooking until the meat is done.

Variations: Experiment with other seasonal berries such as blackberries, cranberries or raspberries for making the sauce. Cranberries may need an added spoonful of sugar to taste.