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- 8 shallots
- 2 racks venison, about 1.5kg (3lb 3 1/2 oz) in total
- 4 Tbsp. oil
- 1 tsp. ground allspice
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 200 ml (7 fl oz (1/3 pint)) ruby port
- 1 Tbsp. cornflour
- 400 ml (14 fl oz) beef stock
- 2 Tbsp. blueberry or blackberry jam
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 250 g (9oz) blueberries
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Roughly chop four shallots (no need to peel) and scatter into a roasting tin large enough to hold both venison racks later on. Weigh the racks separately and make a note of the average weight. Calculate cooking time for this average weight based on 20min per 450g (1lb).
- Step 2
Rub 2tbsp oil and the ground allspice over the venison. Season well. Heat a large frying pan and fry meat (in batches if needed) until golden – about 3min. Lift out of pan (reserving pan) and put into the prepared roasting tin.
- Step 3
Roast racks together for the calculated cooking time (an average 750g/1lb 10½oz rack should take 33min). To check whether venison is cooked to medium rare, insert a metal skewer into the centre of the meat and hold for 5sec – it should come out warm. If not, return tin to oven for a further 2min.
- Step 4
When cooked, transfer racks to a board, cover with foil and let rest for 20min.
- Step 5
Peel and finely slice the remaining shallots. In the reserved pan, heat remaining 2tbsp oil and fry shallots for 4min until softened. Add garlic and thyme sprigs and cook for 1min. Pour in port, increase heat and simmer for 2min until reduced by half. Put cornflour into a small bowl, add 2tbsp of the stock and mix to a smooth paste. Mix the remaining stock, jam, balsamic vinegar and the cornflour mixture into the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for a further 5min until sauce has thickened slightly. Add the blueberries for the final 1min of simmering. Discard thyme sprigs and season to taste.
- Step 6
Transfer racks to a serving platter. Serve the venison with the sauce.
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Get Ahead
Complete steps 1, 2 and 5 up to a day ahead, but don’t add the blueberries to the sauce. Cool browned venison racks in tin, then cover and chill. Cool sauce completely, then cover and chill. To serve, remove venison from fridge 1hr before continuing with step 3. In a medium pan, reheat sauce with blueberries until piping hot.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 325
- Fibre: 1 g
- Total carbs: 15 g
- Sugars: 11 g
- Total fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
