Recipe & Images from @maycontaintracys on Instagram

A beautifully simple yet impressive dish, this wild venison saddle is cooked to blushing perfection and paired with a rich, sweet-and-sour red cabbage. The result is a deeply flavourful plate that celebrates the natural character of wild game.

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4)

For the Venison

• 1 wild venison saddle
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 onions, roughly sliced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced

For the Red Cabbage

• ½ red cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 apple, diced
• 150ml red wine
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 100ml apple juice
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly

👩🍳 Method

1. Prepare the Venison

Remove the venison from the fridge around 30–60 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.

Season the venison saddle generously with salt and pepper. Heat a pan with a little olive oil until very hot, then sear the venison on all sides until nicely browned.

2. Roast

Place the sliced onions, carrots, and fennel into a roasting tray to create a trivet. Sit the seared venison on top.

Transfer to the oven and roast for 30–35 minutes, depending on size, until the meat is blushing pink and tender.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 10–15 minutes before carving.

3. Make the Red Cabbage

While the venison cooks, place all the red cabbage ingredients into a large pan.

Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook on a low heat for 40–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is soft and rich, and the liquid has reduced to a glossy sauce. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

4. Serve

Carve the venison into thick slices and serve alongside the red cabbage. Spoon over some of the rich, spiced cabbage juices for extra flavour.