Matching Pinotage with venison

By Claudia Brown | 31st January 2014

This week we have been very lucky. The kind people at Chocoholic sent us a bottle of their Pinotage to try. Not only that, they also sent us a recipe that has been created by the head chef at High Timber, Frans de Wet, to complement the wine. We don’t want to keep this delicious match to ourselves, so we’ve decided to share it with you

Matching Pinotage with venison

This week we have been very lucky. The kind people at Chocoholic sent us a bottle of their Pinotage to try. Not only that, they also sent us a recipe that has been created by the head chef at High Timber, Frans de Wet, to complement the wine. We don’t want to keep this delicious match to ourselves, so we’ve decided to share it with you

Loin of Venison, roast parsnip, parsnip puree, braised red cabbage, juniper berry jus.

Parsnip puree:

  • 3 large parsnips, peeled cored and cut in half lengthways
  • 500ml whole milk
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled
  • 25g salted butter

Combine all ingredients and cook until tender. Blitz and pass through a fine sieve.

Roast parsnips

  • 1 kg parsnips
  • 125ml vegetable oil
  • Salt, pepper

Roast parsnips in preheated oven until golden

Juniper berry jus

  • 8 juniper berries,
  • 350ml Chocoholic Pinotage wine
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1L veal stock
  • 1 bay leaf

Combine juniper berries, wine, thyme, and bay leaf and reduce by two thirds

Add veal stock and reduce to sauce consistency

Venison

Trim the Loin and remove all sinew.

Seal in a hot pan with olive oil, add a knob of butter and roast in preheated oven until medium rare. (45 mins)

Rest for 15 minutes and cover with foil to keep warm and recover the juices.

Braised red cabbage

  • 1 large red cabbage
  • 2 granny smith apples
  • 300ml Chocoholic Pinotage wine
  • 100ml red wine vinegar
  • 50g brown sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 star anise

Add all ingredients to a large pan cover with lid and bake in preheated oven for two hours or until soft

 

Chocoholic is made using partially dried grapes in an age-old practice best known in Valpolicella and which is responsible for Amarone, Recioto and Ripasso styles of wines. Chocoholic is composed of two distinctly differing Pinotage components. 20% of the cuvée, representing the most concentrated, richly flavoured juice, is created by twisting the grape stalks to induce a raisening of the fruit whilst it remains on the vine.

 

You can buy Chocoholic from Harvey Nichols and it costs £11 and you can find out more and buy the wine here: http://www.harveynichols.com/food-wine/categories/wines-spirits/winered/s485909-chocoholic-13.html