Pan-fried venison with sweet potato mash & seasonal veg

FREQUENCY:

1-2x per week

SERVES:

2

PREP/COOK TIME:

20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 venison steaks

1 large sweet potato (or 2 small)

2 cloves of garlic

semi skimmed milk

1 tbsp olive oil

100ml beef stock

1 tsp redcurrant jelly

Spring greens (enough to cover 1/4 of your plate)

Kalettes (enough to cover 1/4 of your plate)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the sweet potato until soft (around 10mins). Using a smaller pan and less water will use less gas. Once soft, drain the water then return the sweet potato to the pan and cover with the lid. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

  2. Drizzle your olive oil over your venison and season with salt and pepper. Crush your garlic and rub this onto the surface of your steaks.

  3. Place your steaks into the pan for 4-5 minutes each side, until medium-rare. Remove and rest for 5 minutes.

  4. Pour 100ml beef stock (made with ½ stock cube) into the now empty venison pan and cook at a medium boil until reduced by half, then stir in 1 tsp redcurrant jelly.

  5. Add half a cup of milk to your sweet potato and mash. Season with salt and pepper.

  6. Pour boiling water over the spring greens and kalettes until warmed through but still crunchy.

  7. Slice the venison and serve with the sauce, mashed sweet potato and greens.

NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION:

Venison a great source of protein and its levels of saturated fat are much lower than in other red meats like beef. It also contains a great array of important micronutrients like iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc as well as vitamins B6 and B12, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine. It is one of the healthiest meats on the market.

Sweet potato is a great starchy carb source that is high in fibre and antioxidants, which promote a healthy gut and brain. They're also incredibly rich in beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A to support good vision and your immune system.

Like many cruciferous vegetables, kalettes are very nutrient dense and rich in fibre, vitamin C, K, iron and calcium.⁠ Cruciferous are also a great source of antioxidants, such as carotenoids like lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene and sulphur-rich compounds known as glucosinolates.⁠ Carotenoids are associated with eye health and glucosinolates can support liver detoxification pathways and hormone clearance.⁠

Spring greens are a great source of vitamin C, K, calcium and folate. Vitamin K and calcium are essential for bone health, supporting their structure.

  • Whether it comes managed wild populations or farms, venison is a highly sustainable and ethical meat. In the UK we have thriving deer populations living in the wild that, due to having no natural predators need to be managed to ensure they stay healthy and are kept in balance with their environment. In addition, venison is also widely farmed and these animals enjoy a far greater proportion of time outdoors compared to other farmed animals and deer farming can take place on land that would be unsuitable for arable farming, making efficient use of the land.

  • Sweet potatoes, spring greens and kalettes are all in season and at their most delicious at this time of year. This means all the vegetables included in this dish can be grown in the UK (meaning reduced transport emissions) and without any need for artificial inputs such as artificial heating or lighting.

SUSTAINABILITY CREDENTIALS: