Rack of Roe deer with potato puree and a bacon and onion sauce

Serves 4

Takes 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 four bone racks
2 sprigs of thyme
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Maldon salt and pepper
Potato puree
4 large baking potatoes, peeled
200mls double cream!!
200g butter ( oh god)
Salt and white pepper

Bacon and onion sauce

100g chunk of streaky dry cured bacon
100g pearl onions
2 banana shallots, finely chopped
150 mls red wine
150mls reduced beef stock

Method

This dish is all about total decadence, so please do not skimp on the cream and butter, just don’t eat it again for a month. Right, so assembly is easy. In a pan, fry the onions and cubed bacon until brown in a dash of oil ( the bacon fat will do the rest ). Now add the wine and stock and reduce until the sauce is glossy and thick, then season to taste. Put it to one side.

Boil the spuds – whole – until they are tender. Drain and shake them outside so they go all dry and fluffy, then push them through a sieve with a spoon or spatula. They will now hold for ever.

Pop the cream and butter on to heat in a big pan and bring up to the simmer, then take off the heat. Now cook the deer: Pound up the garlic, oil and thyme in a pestle and mortar, then liberally smear it all over the racks . Sear the meat in a red hot pan until brown, then pop the racks in a 200c oven for about 7 minutes. Let the rest for the same again, then assemble. Bring the cream/butter mix to the simmer again and fold in the mash handful by handful ( honest! ) until you have a wildly decadent smooth puree. If you think there is too much cream and butter just taste it.

Spoon the potato onto plates, carve the racks into 4 juicy tender bones each, arrange artfully over the mach and spoon the sauce around. The best game dish ever, I promise.