Venison Wellington with Blackberry Puree by Fallow

Ingredients

• 600g venison loin, trimmed of sinew
• 250g chicken breast, diced
• 3 whole eggs
• 4 large thin crepes
• 300g mushroom duxelle, cooled
• 500g block all-butter puff pastry
• 250ml milk
• 2 tbsp mixed fresh herbs, chopped
• 100g, plus extra for dusting plain flour
• 1 tbsp tarragon, chopped
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup fermented blackberry puree
• 1 cup red wine jus
• 100ml double cream
• to taste salt

Instructions

1. Trim all sinew from the venison loin and season it lightly with salt.
2. Blend the diced chicken breast with 1 egg, the cream, and a pinch of salt until very smooth. Fold in the cooled mushroom duxelle and chopped tarragon.
3. For the crepes, blend the milk, 2 eggs, fresh herbs, flour, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Strain, then cook thin crepes in a lightly greased pan and set aside to cool.
4. Sear the venison briefly in a hot pan on all sides, then chill completely. Brush the chilled venison with Dijon mustard.
5. Lay the crepes in an overlapping rectangle. Spread over an even layer of chicken mousse, then place the chilled venison at one end.
6. Roll the crepes, mousse, and venison into a tight parcel, keeping the shape even.
7. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Brush the pastry and venison parcel with egg wash, then wrap the parcel tightly in pastry and seal the seams.
8. Brush the Wellington with more egg wash and chill briefly while the oven heats to 200°C.
9. Bake until the pastry is golden and the venison reaches about 48°C after resting for rare to medium-rare, using a probe thermometer for accuracy.
10. Rest the Wellington for 10-15 minutes, then carve into thick slices. Serve with fermented blackberry puree and warm red wine jus.