Roe Deer Wellington, Celeriac Mash, Roasted Beetroot

This week’s recipe is by Glenn Roach, Regional Executive Chef of the Surf & Turf restaurants situated in Macdonald Rusacks Hotel, St Andrews & Macdonald Holyrood Hotel, Edinburgh. The Surf & Turf concept will also be launching soon in the Macdonald Marine Hotel in North Berwick.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 500g Roe deer loin, cleaned with sinew removed

• 8 large spinach leaves

• 400g of puff pastry

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tbsp of milk

• salt

• pepper

• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil

Venison Loin

• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil

• salt

• pepper

• 500g of loin of venison, cleaned with sinew removed

Start by searing the venison. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, season the loin with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Turn every 1–2 minutes to colour the loin on all sides, until it is evenly browned and rare in the centre. Remove from the pan and refrigerate

Mushroom Duxelle

• 250g of button mushrooms

• 4 shallots, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 100ml of Madeira

• 4 tbsp of double cream

• butter

• salt

• pepper

For the duxelles, melt the butter in the same pan, add the chopped mushrooms and sauté until golden brown. Remove from the pan and keep to one side.

Add the shallots and chopped garlic to the pan. Cook until soft then add the mushrooms again and cook quickly until the liquid evaporates. Add the Madeira and boil until reduced by half

Add the cream and cook until the mixture is thick and beginning to darken. Season with salt and pepper and leave to one side

Quickly blanch the spinach leaves in boiling water and then cool in iced water. Dry the leaves well

Spread the mushroom duxelle over the spinach in another even layer and place the venison on top. Roll the pancakes, spinach and mushroom mix around the venison, using the cling film to wrap it tightly. Leave to cool in the fridge, preferably overnight

Puff Pastry

Roll out the puff pastry into a thin sheet around 1/4 cm thick – if it is pre-rolled it will need to be rolled thinner

Remove the Wellington from the cling film, lay on top of the pastry and brush the borders of the pastry with egg wash. Roll the Wellington in the pastry, sealing the joining edge with a little extra egg wash (1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp of milk). Roll the Wellington so the seal is on the underside and set aside while you prepare the vegetables

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

Place the Wellington into the oven for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. To tell if it is cooked, place a thin metal skewer in the centre of the venison, it should be slightly warm (which means the internal temperature is about 49–52°C)

Remove the Wellington from the oven, rest for at least 10 minutes in a warm place. Slice and serve up onto plates

Celeriac Mash

• 1 celeriac

• 50g of butter

• salt

Peel the celeriac and cut into 2-3 cm chunks

Place in a suitable size saucepan, cover with water and season with salt

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. The chunks will be cooked when a knife easily slices through them

Drain the water and return the celeriac to the pan with the butter and mash until smooth. Season to taste

Beetroot Puree

• 2 raw beetroots

• 50g of brown sugar

• 200ml of double cream

• 100ml of red wine vinegar

• salt

• pepper

Place the beetroot in a pan and cover with water, cook on a low heat. Add a pinch of salt, and leave to cook until soft, this could take up to two hours, you will need to top up the water throughout the process

When soft, drain well and return to the pan, stir them round to evaporate the last of the liquid. Cook with a little with the brown sugar and then pour in the red wine vinegar, cook further until the liquid is a nice caramel colour and then add the double cream, leave to cook and thicken

Place the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth, season to taste, reserve and keep hot