Holidays Will Be Brighter With Inclusion of Venison Recipe from Reynolds Plantation

Gerald Schmidt, Reynolds Plantation Executive Chef

With the holidays approaching, food lovers begin envisioning menus for family gatherings, parties with friends, and other festive celebrations. If you are looking for an out of the ordinary repast for such event that will earn you huzzahs and praise, then look no farther than Roasted Rack of Venison—the Specialty of the House at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia.

The creator of this holiday gift is Gerald Schmidt, Reynolds Plantation’s Executive Chef. Chef Schmidt says this marinated, roasted masterpiece offers “an elegant presentation that provides a flavorful alternative to traditional holiday fare.”

The venison is served with morel mushrooms, a wild mushroom with quality “second only to the truffle,” he says. Because of the morel’s earthy flavor, he adds, they are an ideal accompaniment to the venison.

25 Years in the Kitchen
He certainly knows his craft and has continued to polish it over the years. With more than 25 years of culinary experience, this award-winning chef has graced the kitchens of hotels and clubs throughout the country. He was even runner-up for White House Executive Chef in 2006.

Reynolds Plantation is an award-winner, too. This lakeside residential community, with its 99 holes of championship golf and over 80 miles of shoreline along Lake Oconee, has won awards from magazines such as Golfweek, Travel+Leisure Golf, Where to Retire Magazine, Southern Living and others, as well as Forbes.com.

Complementary Wines
Chef Schmidt, who has attended food and wine pairing classes in Napa Valley, CA, suggests coupling the venison with a Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel or Possums Vineyard Shiraz. The result is a holiday feast that will be more vivid, and tastier, than usual this year.

Roasted rack of venison from Reynolds Plantation, GA
Photography by Terry Allen

Roasted Rack of Venison
Recipe Courtesy of Executive Chef

Gerald Schmidt

For Venison
2 each 8-bone venison racks, approximately 2.5 pounds each, trimmed of silver
3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil (canola is preferred). Reserve 1 tbsp for cooking.
6 each fresh rosemary sprigs, cut into 6-inch lengths       
2 each garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt to taste
Freshly milled black pepper to taste

For Morel Mushrooms
¼ lb fresh morel mushrooms*, slit length-wise and cleaned well of any debris
2 tbsp shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup red wine
¼ cup water
6.5 oz (1 container) veal demi-glace
Sea salt to taste
Freshly milled black pepper to taste

* If fresh morels are unavailable at market, dried morels can be substituted in their place. Instead, use half the weight of fresh, or 2 ounces. Simply place them in 1 cup of water (room temperature), squeezing periodically until hydrated. This will take approximately 3-4 hours. If water becomes dirty, change water as needed.

Venison Preparation
With a sharp knife, carefully remove the thin silver skin on the rack of venison. Rub venison with canola oil, garlic, salt and pepper to your desired taste. Place rosemary sprigs on meat and place in a plastic sealable container. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

After marinating for 24 hours, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large sauté pan on high heat, and add 1 tbsp reserved canola or vegetable oil to pan. Remove rosemary from meat and discard. Place venison racks into hot sauté pan (medium-high heat) and sear two minutes on each side. Remove from sauté pan; wrap the bone portion with aluminum foil to prevent burning when roasting. Put racks of venison into roasting pan and place in oven. Roast for 26 – 29 minutes, or use a meat thermometer to gauge when an internal temperature of 130 degrees has been reached. Reserve venison rack to a platter and cover loosely with foil. Allow this to set 8 – 10 minutes. This will be a perfect medium rare.

Morel Preparation
Melt the butter in a medium saucepot over high heat, being careful not to burn. Add the shallots, reduce the heat to medium and quickly stir for 20-30 seconds, do not brown.
Add the morels, reduce to low heat and sauté for 2-3 minutes. When completed, add the red wine, water and the demi-glace. Whisk until sauce is formed. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and freshly milled black pepper. Hold warm for service.

Plating the Venison Rack
Warm individual serving plates. Place sauce on medium heat, bring back to boil and remove. At this point you can leave the rack intact, 3-4 bones per portion or just simply carve straight down each bone making a single bone chop. Arrange on place, spoon sauce and morels around venison. Garnish with zucchini and root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8.

Comments

[Chinese Ingredients]

Wow, the cooking method of this dish is great, I'll try it later and I hope it tastes the way it look. Thanks for sharing!