What's cooking Matching delicious food with great wine Venison burger topped with crushed walnuts & melted St Augur The burger is made from minced haunch of venison, sweet shallots, garlic, red current jelly, crushed juniper berries, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and cracked black pepper. It’s served on a round of rustic toast topped with melted St Augur blue cheese and sprinkled with crushed walnuts. Finish with chunky chips and a dressed green salad. This is a marriage made in heaven served with Corbières which complements the slight peppery spiciness of the burger and the rich vension meat. Serves 6 Ingredients 1 kg minced haunch of venison 1 large onion – grated 1 clove garlic finely diced 2 medium free range eggs 6 juniper berries finely crushed 2 teaspoons redcurrant jelly 1 teaspoon Worcester sauce Cracked black pepper 200g St Augur cheese A few crushed walnut Big fat chunky chips Dressed green salad leaves Method Mix all the ingredients except the St Augur & walnuts in a large bowl. You can do this with a spoon but hands are definitely better. Leave to stand for about 30 minutes for the flavours to marinate. Line a flat tray with baking parchment. Now divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and using your hands form into patties about 2cm thick. Place each one carefully on the tray. Put the tray into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. When you are ready to cook divide a large potato into big chunky chips 2cm thick and deep-fry until golden brown. Drain, lightly salt them and pop them in a dish in the oven. Prepare a lightly dressed green salad. Drizzle some vegetable oil into a frying pan and when hot slide the burger in. Cook each side gently for 5-8 minutes depending on how you like your meat. Toast a 10cm round thick piece of rustic bread and top it with the cooked burger. Now place a good chunk of deliciously soft St Augur cheese on the burger and scatter with crushed walnuts. Pop under the grill for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese. Serve on a warmed plate with the golden chunky chips and crispy salad, accompanied by a glass of Radcliffe’s Corbières.
