Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Meat
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos

Venison steaks with a red wine, balsamic & shiitake mushroom sauce

by Jeanne Horak on April 18, 2012 13 Comments in Gluten-free, Main course - meat, Recipes

VenisonSteaksWithShiitake © J Horak-Druiff 2013

 

The human race has many motivators – stimuli that cause us to behave in a certain fashion or refrain from behaving in a certain fashion. The desire for approval is a huge motivator, relied on for centuries by parents who would tell you sadly how disappointed they were in your behaviour rather than yelling at you.  The need for social acceptance is another powerful motivator.  Just cast your mind back to how you donned those pastel pink knickerbocker trousers as a teenager in the 1980s, even if they did not suit you at all – but all the cool kids were wearing them.  And then there is probably our greatest motivator:  fear.  Fear of a hiding is all that will dissuade a ten-year-old boy from trying to climb on the roof (again).  Fear of death is what keeps most of us from bungee jumping.  And fear of social embarrassment is what stops millions of people from singing or speaking in public; from wearing skimpy swimming costumes; or from halting attempts at a foreign language.

In the same vein, it is also what stops us from ordering unfamiliar items on a restaurant menu, Steak and chips – we all know what that is.  But what is a tian of prawns?  And is wagyu a cut of beef, a style of cooking or a type of meat?  And while pear tart sounds homely and comforting, a galette of pears sounds terrifyingly sophisticated and unfamiliar.  What if you order something that turns out to be repulsive – writhing eels of deep-fried insects?? And then there are the words that are opaque in meaning and difficult to pronounce: think quesadillas, millefeuille, iles flottantes – or shiitake mushrooms.

 

VenisonShiitakeCollage

Shiitake is one of those words that looks rude to the uninitiated but isn’t – rather like cockpit, in fact 😉  A friend who was idly examining the contents of my grocery cupboard while I cooked once came across a packet of dried shiitake mushrooms.  “Why on earth would anybody want to eat something called “shit ache”? she marvelled.  But of course, it’s only the prism of English pronounciation, and its confounding habit of making the final e in a word silent, that give shiitake mushrooms a scatological makeover.  A more correct version would be she-tar-keh – and the sooner you learn to say the word correctly and lose your fear of ordering them, the better because they are some of the most richly flavoured and delicious mushrooms you will find.  Shiitake (or lentinus edodes) are mushrooms of Asian origin where they have been growing in China and Japan since prehistoric times.  They are often found growing on fallen broadleaf trees, but can also  be commercially cultivated.   The lentinant contained in the mushroom is the active ingredient credited with its disease fighting properties such as controlling cholesterol and boosting the immune system, and is being researched as a cancer treatment.  More importantly to me, they are packed with umami and strongly reminiscent of truffles, but with a far lower price tag.  If you are using dried shiitake, don’t discard the soaking water as it is as flavourful as the mushrooms themselves and makes a fantastic stock to add to soups and gravies.

This dish is the result of sending my darling husband grocery shopping rather than going myself.  To be fair, he does attempt to buy what I have written on the list, but he is also prone to taking advantage of special offers – and what was on offer that day was a pair of venison steaks.  Although I would normally choose to pair venison with a sweet, fruity sauce, I had a packet of dried shiitake mushrooms on hand and was so intrigued by the recipe I found on the Good Food Channel website, that I ditched the fruit, reasoning that the caramelised balsamic would provide the necessary sweetness.  The end result is slightly exotic but unfussy and packed with deep umami flavour.  Serve it with a robust, fruity red wine such as an Argentine Malbec.

 

VenisonShiitakeFinal

 

VENISON STEAKS WITH A RED WINE, BALSAMIC & SHIITAKE MUSHROOM SAUCE (serves 2)

Ingredients

2 x 200 g venison fillets
1 tsp olive oil
25 g butter
100g dried shiitake mushrooms
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
50ml red wine
50ml balsamic vinegar

Method

Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes.  Drain but reserve the soaking liquid to use in stocks.

Rub the olive oil into the venison.  Heat a heavy (preferably cast-iron) frying pan, add the venison when hot and fry for 1 minute on each side.

Add 15g of butter, the drained mushroots, shallots and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add the red wine and balsamic vinegar and continue to cook, stirring to deglaze the pan.

Once the venison is cooked to your taste,  remove it from the pan and keep warm. Add the remaining butter to the mushroom sauce and cook briskly until reduced by half.

Serve the sauce over the steak with a baked potato on the side.

 

More deliciousness for you!

  • Ragu Bolognese – the official versionRagu Bolognese – the official version
  • Rotkohl (braised red cabbage with apples)Rotkohl (braised red cabbage with apples)
  • Tomato, pesto & thyme tarte tatinTomato, pesto & thyme tarte tatin
  • Crispy duck breasts with a wild cherry balsamic reductionCrispy duck breasts with a wild cherry balsamic reduction

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« Saturday Snapshots #190
Saturday Snapshots #191 »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

    April 18, 2012 at 1:51 pm

    My husband comes back with completely different stuff too. Still, if it’s venison, you can’t complain!! Looks wonderfully full of UMAMI – now try getting your non foodie friends to work out what that is.

    Reply
  2. Kit says

    April 18, 2012 at 2:18 pm

    My knickerbockers had a design of gold fans on black… and the other ones were royal blue corduroy… if only I’d kept them, my kids would have loved to dress up as pirates in them!
    I’ll have to look out for dried shitake mushrooms – the flavour sounds reminiscent of Italian porcini mushrooms which I haven’t had in years, probably due to fear of the kids turning up their noses at a perfectly good casserole.

    Reply
  3. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    April 19, 2012 at 6:12 am

    I miss venison. Can’t get it here so OD in the UK. Good wine match.

    Reply
  4. Rosa says

    April 19, 2012 at 6:53 am

    A fabulous dish! That sauce is very original and surely very tasty. What a great combination.
    Cheers,
    Rosa

    Reply
  5. Raj says

    April 19, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    Love the blog! It looks really tasty..Have you guys heard about the campaign Taste Success? The aim is to encourage younger people to explore an education and/or a career in the Food and Drink industry. We want to show everyone that the sector involves so much more than chefs and restaurants like for example scientists, manufactures and technologists. Follow this link to get some more information: http://bit.ly/fdftastesuccess – The campaign also features a range of videos, the most popular is the Chilli Baby –> http://bit.ly/ChilliBaby. Please share and spread the word! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Zirkie says

    April 19, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    The food looks and sounds delicious! I especially love the shitake mushroom sauce!

    Reply
  7. Jeff @ Cheeseburger says

    April 20, 2012 at 5:27 am

    Venison steaks with a red wine, balsamic & shiitake mushroom sauce is a perfect dinner. This looks so delicious!

    Reply
  8. Delia Jordaan says

    April 20, 2012 at 7:59 am

    Great dish, just wish I knew where I could find Shiitake mushrooms in SA.

    Reply
  9. Firefly says

    April 20, 2012 at 8:19 am

    Yummy yum yum. Now that looks very good

    Reply
  10. Krista says

    April 21, 2012 at 5:20 am

    That looks so hearty and good, Jeanne. I don’t know that I can get venison in Australia, but perhaps substituting something equally gamey like kangaroo would do the trick. I’m not a bit mushroom fan, but your sauce sounds quite marvelous with garlic, vinegar and wine. Mmm. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Katie says

    April 24, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    I love mushrooms with venison! This is duly noted for next fall when I can get venison again. And you are so right about the words…. I would have a hard time ordering Spotted Dick! (Yes, I know what it is…)

    Reply
  12. Kevin (Closet Cooking) says

    May 10, 2012 at 12:42 am

    What a tasty sauce!

    Reply
  13. Deirdre says

    February 22, 2016 at 3:53 pm

    I made this last night. Didn’t have shiitakes, used baby bellas. This was AMAZING! I made enough for four and the two of us were fighting over it! Not a morsel left!

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Enter your address to subscribe via e-mail

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Potted smoked salmon with quick pickle apple slaw
  • Discovering the wines of Pays d’Oc
  • Cranberry pistachio Bircher muesli – a Pret-a-Manger fakeaway
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts
  • Myristica Grenadian supperclub
  • 8 favourite Singapore food experiences
  • Sticky spiced plum upside-down cake and 16 years of blogging
  • IT restaurant

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Oxtail and red wine potjie
How to sautée Brussels sprouts
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
Roosterkoek - a South African braai essential
Beef, broccoli and udon noodle stir fry from "The Japanese Larder" by Luiz Hara

Featured on

Also available on

As a girl who lived more than half her life in the As a girl who lived more than half her life in the African sun, February and March are the hardest months for me to bear in the UK. All the excitement of Christmas and New Year has faded; the credit card bill has arrived; the sun is still setting before I finish work; and the snow that we all hoped for at Christmas finally arrives and disrupts everything. This is why, every year in Feb/March since I moved to the UK (other than the year I broke my femur a week before I was due to fly!), I decamp to South Africa for 2 weeks to visit my family and get my fix of vitamin D (and vitamin Sea!).

This week I should have been here - the Beacon Island hotel in Plettenberg Bay, which I have been visiting since I was about six years old. It is where I go to lift my spirits and clear my head. But for the last 2 years, Covid has meant that I have not been able to go home - or see my family. 

For the most part, although I miss travel, I am secretly quite liking taking a breather and being able to be home without FOMO for a while. But not being able to see my family has been incredibly hard, particularly as I have no family in this country.  And my blood boils at people bending the rules (a dentist appointment in Tenerife when you live in Manchester? Seriously??) to go on holiday while I have not seen my clinically vulnerable brother in two years. Covidiots.

But you can bet your bottom dollar that as soon as vaccinations are widely rolled out and international travel becomes practical again, I will be on a plane to South Africa so fast it will make your head spin.

Where will YOU head to first once we are able to travel again,  and why?
Love is in the air... 💕 Are you making a speci Love is in the air... 💕

Are you making a special dinner for your sweetheart tonight? This potted hot-smoked salmon with a pretty pink apple and red onion pickle is easy to prep and oh-so-delicious! It's also gluten-free if you serve it with GF crackers. Full recipe now on the blog - tap the live link on my bio to view. 

Are you doing anything special to celebrate today? Let me know in the comments! 💖
Ready for a wine tasting? 🍷 [Press trip] Back Ready for a wine tasting? 🍷

[Press trip] Back before Covid put our lives on hold, I spent a few days in the Languedoc-Rousillon wine region of France learning about (and tasting!) Pays d'Oc IGP wines. 

Want to learn more about the region's wines? Read on, swipe through the images (remember to  bookmark this post to refer back to later) - and click the live link in my bio for the full blog post! 

🍷 The Languedoc-Rousillon region is the largest wine producing region in the world, and produces about a third of all French wine. Pays d'Oc IGP is a classification region within Languedoc-Rousillon, with vineyards that take up over half the total vineyard area in the Languedoc-Rousillon region. Pays d'OC IGP wines account for about 20% of the total of all French wine produced.

🍷IGP stands for Indication Geographique Protegée, meaning it is a protected indication of origin and wines must be made only from approved grape varieties that must be grown entirely within the region's geographic boundaries.

🍷 Most French wines are named for their region (Bordeaux, Chablis, Champagne) but you won't see the name of the grape variety on the label. In response to consumer demand and the New World trend to label wines with grape varieties, rules were changed in Pays d'Oc in the late 1980s and Pays d'Oc wines now account for 92% of French varietal wines (e.g. labelled Chardonnay, Syrah, Viognier etc.).

🍷 There are 58 grape varieties that are allowed to be planted in the region but the Pays d'Oc IGP varietal wines to watch out for include Chardonnay, Rolle (another name for Vermentino) and Viognier among the whites; and Syrah, Mourvedre and Pinot Noir among the reds.

🍷 All wines labelled Pays d'Oc IGP are sampled and approved in a blind tasting by a panel of professionals, meaning the label is a guarantee of quality to the consumer. 

🍷 Producers that you should look out for include Gerard Bertrand, Domaine Gayda, Les Jamelles, Les Yeuses, Paul Mas and Domaine Aigues Belles.

First 📸: @everyglassmatters
New year's resolutions: waste of time or the way f New year's resolutions: waste of time or the way forward?

I have mentioned before that I don't really make new year's resolutions. There is always so much pressure to make them BIG lofty goals and this is essentially what dooms them to failure. Instead, for the past few years I have made a list of... affirmations? Mantras? I have yet come up with a word that does not make my toes curl 🤣

These are essentially reminders rather than goals - presets, if you like, for the year ahead. I keep them in a handwritten list next to my computer and when I don't know how to react to something or how to shake a mood, I read them and there is usually an answer in there somewhere. 

Given the bruising year last year was, and how 2021 has so far proven itself to be not much better, I really wanted to add something practical to this year's list to lift my spirits on days when I am down. And for that I borrowed shamelessly from the wonderful @gretchenrubin:

🌈  ACT THE WAY YOU WANT TO FEEL 🌈

And this photo is a reminder of how I want to feel on so, so many levels: hanging out with friends; dancing in the sunshine; wearing my favourite red dress; travelling (this was in Carouge, Switzerland); and surrounded by a rainbow of colour. I can't travel and I can't see friends, but I can dance in my kitchen, singing at the top of my voice wearing my brightest clothes. 

What strategies do you use to lift your spirits? I'd love to hear! 

📸 by @tasteofsavoie
If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bi If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bircher muesli during lockdown, you will want to bookmark this post right now! 🔖

I have learnt a few things during lockdown. I have learnt that I am more comfortable spending long periods alone than I had ever imagined; that I suffer a lot more from FOMO (fear of missing out!) than I would like to admit; and that pre-Covid I spent rude sums of money on commuting and barista coffee...! 

I also learnt that although I miss travel and social events and meals out, it is often the smaller things that you miss most acutely - the freedom to call up a friend you haven't seen in a while and inviting them over. Hugging (or even seeing) my family. And grabbing a macchiato and a Pret Bircher muesli on the way to work. Don't ask me why, but it became a small obsession of mine to create a fakeaway Pret Bircher during lockdown - and I think I have succeeded! Here's how:

For 2 servings you will need:
100g rolled oats
200ml milk or water
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds 
1 Tbsp shelled pistachio nuts
1 Tbsp dried cranberries 
2 small apples
175g plain yoghurt
Honey
Pomegranate rails

Mix the oats, seeds, nuts and cranberries together then add the milk/water and a pinch of salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. 

When ready to serve, grate the apples and mix them in with the oats and yoghurt (add a little extra milk to loosen if needed). Stir in honey to taste and serve topped with pomegranate arils and pistachios. Full recipe and more photos are available now on the blog - click the live link in my profile.

Did you try any fakeaway recipes over lockdown? Please let me know in the comments - I would love to hear about it!
Me, turning around and walking out on 2020 like a Me, turning around and walking out on 2020 like a bad romance...

And while we are on the topic, can I still get a refund on the first week of 2021? Not sure it was fit for purpose... 🤣 Either way, I am putting on my brightest dress, fixing my eyes firmly on the future and walking purposefully towards it (bottle of wine optional but always welcome!). 

I don't make resolutions at new year, but I have been thinking about what positives I want to carry forward with me as I walk away from the car crash of a year that was 2020. For me, some big positives have been:

* Working from home, in terms of increased flexibility, increased productivity and increased visibility - I definitely hope never to have to work in the office 5 days a week again. 
* Better and more regular exercise. I ran 585km in 2020, probably as much as in all previous years put together - let's see what I can do in 2021!
* Better connection  and more video calls to faraway friends and family. Why have I not always made video calls?? 

I don't think we need to even mention the many negatives of the last year, but I am curious to know if you took any positives away from 2020? Let me know in the comments 🙂

Onwards and upwards!
One last look back at the kettle of crazy that was One last look back at the kettle of crazy that was 2020 before we dive headlong into 2021... 

I am guilty of not posting as much as I would have liked to in 2020 but as it turns out, I find it hard to be on social media much if I am not in a good headspace. Who knew... 😜 A lot of my posts were memories of previous trips but a huge thank you to you all for indulging my travelstalgia (if that is not a word, it should be!), coming along for the ride, liking, commenting, and sharing your thoughts. 

So I give you my #topnine2020 posts, in order of most likes over the past year. Left to right, starting top left, we have The Shard in London; my sesame ginger Brussels sprouts; Keukenhof garden tulips; Christmas at London's Spitalfields market: Carcasonne; my sticky plum upside-down cake; Singapore shophouses; Grenada harbour; and a raspberry & hibiscus G&T.

Here's to making new memories in 2021, and wishing you all a year of abundance x
So how was your Christmas day yesterday? In this So how was your Christmas day yesterday? 

In this year that has been so hard on so many people,  I hope you had somebody to share it with; enough food to feel replete; and warm place to eat. I know it was  not the Christmas that we all wanted, but it was definitely the Christmas that reminded us to count our blessings. 

One of the blessings at my table was one of the best Brussels sprout recipes I have ever had - roasted sprouts with chorizo, hazelnuts and thyme - and with only 4 ingredients, so simple to make! Trust me, you want to bookmark this one 🔖

For 4 people you need:
* 500g trimmed Brussels sprouts 
* 75g chorizo, chopped
* 15g hazelnuts
* sprig of thyme
* vegetable oil

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Halve each sprout lengthways and toss the sprouts in enough oil to lightly coat. Arrange on a baking sheet, cut side down. Roast for 15 mins or until outer leaves start to brown, then turn over and roast till cut sides just start to colour (about 10 mins). 

2. While the sprouts are roasting,  toast the hazelnuts in a large dry pan over medium heat till light brown, remove and roughly crush.

3. In the same pan, fry the chorizo  till it starts to release its oil, then remove sprouts from the oven and add to pan. Mix well.

4. Tip sprouts into a serving bowl and top with hazelnuts and thyme leaves. Serve hot.
"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoug "The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius

I think we can all agree that 2020 was not the year that we ordered and was a really difficult year for almost everyone (other than maybe Jeff Bezos...).

I could so easily dwell on all the things I have found hard this year - being separated from my family in South Africa and no realistic hope of seeing them anytime soon; no travel since Oct 2019; the social isolation of living alone in a pandemic; having friends fall ill with Covid; and the huge anxiety brought on by the uncertainty of everything and the complete inability to plan anything (hard for a planner and control freak!).

But as the quote says, think dark thoughts and your soul ends up dark. So I have chosen to dye my soul in the bright colours of things I am grateful for instead: a rewarding job that i can do remotely; amazing friends to Zoom or call around the world; a house of my own that I love; a beautiful running route minutes from my door; and a strong, healthy body.

What colour are you dyeing your soul in this Christmas?

🎄🎄🎄
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

Foodies100 Index of UK Food Blogs

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts
Plum upside down cake
plum flapjack crumble
Sesame ginger Brussels sprouts
Jersey-royals-salmon-salad2 © Jeanne Horak 2019
Beef-Udon-noodle-stir-fry-title

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2021 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2021 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.