2960. VENISON STEAKS with BACON POTATO CAKES and CASSIS

serves six


½ onion, diced

½ carrot, diced
25 grams butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock
1 sprig each parsley, thyme and rosemary
1 small bayleaf
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups blackcurrants (frozen are fine)
¼ cup creme de cassis

Venison steaks
6 Denver leg-cut venison steaks
4 tablespoons olive oil

Bacon potato cakes
3 large agria or other starchy potatoes
100 grams butter
2 rashers bacon, finely diced
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, bruised

Cassis sauce: In a saucepan cook the onion and carrot in the butter for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beef stock, parsley, thyme, rosemary, bayleaf and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Strain. Simmer the blackcurrants in the creme de cassis for about 10 minutes until they have softened and released their juice. Add the blackcurrants and juice to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has the consistency of pouring cream. Strain and season with salt and pepper.

Venison steaks: Remove venison from the fridge. Season meat with salt, pepper and the olive oil and leave covered for 30 minutes before cooking. Heat a frying pan until searingly hot and add the steaks. Cook for about 3 minutes, then turn. Cook second side for another 3 minutes. Set aside on a plate, covered for 5 minutes, before serving. This resting time will ensure the venison is lovely and tender.

Bacon potato cakes: Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Thinly slice about 1-1½ potatoes. Cook these slices in half the butter until they are golden on both sides. Line 6 heavily buttered 12cm flan tins with an overlapping layer of the cooked potato slices. Mash the remaining potatoes. Pan-fry the diced bacon until crispy and beat into the potatoes with the remaining butter, egg yolk and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Fill the flan tins with the mashed potato. Bake at 220ºC for 10 minutes. Turn out on to the centre of each plate as a base for the venison steaks.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Allyson Gofton, c/o PO Box 18350, Glen Innes, Auckland, New Zealand

2677. LAMB with POTATO CAKES, BACON and PLUM SAUCE

yields 4-6 portions


4 lamb steaks, 200 grams each
4 sprigs rosemary
60 grams bacon
ground pepper
salt
oil
dash of beer

For the Potato Cakes
100 grams pork fat
800 grams potatoes, cooked in skins then peeled
200 grams wholemeal flour
2 eggs
salt

For the Plum Sauce
80 grams bacon
250 grams plum jam
200 grams prunes
water
salt

Divide the meat up into 4 pieces, then take some bacon and rosemary and press it into the steaks. Rub in some salt and pepper, fry in hot oil on both sides, occasionally splashing with a drop of beer.

For the Potato Cakes: Dice up the pork fat, fry and leave to one side – you won’t need this until it’s time to plate up. Finely grate the potatoes and mix together with the other ingredients to form a dense dough. Gouge out gnocchi with a spoon or knife and toss into boiling water. Drain and arrange in a bowl where you should mix them with the fried pork fat.

For the Plum Sauce: Chop up the bacon and fry. Add the jam, a little water if required and simmer. Finally throw in the prunes and season with a pinch of salt.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Czech Specials, Czech Tourism

2184. OAT-CRUSTED POTATO CAKES with BACON

serves four


1kg floury potatoes
75 grams porridge oats
50 grams wholemeal flour
smoked back bacon, 2 rashers per person, grilled
rapeseed oil for shallow frying

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain and return to the pan and mash. Allow to cool slightly. Stir in 50 grams of the oats and the flour and season well. Press into 8 round potato cakes and coat in the remaining oats. Heat the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan and fry the potato cakes for 2 minutes on each side.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Good Food Ireland, Ballykelly House, Drinagh, Wexford, Ireland

1574. BACON, SAUERKRAUT and MASHED POTATO CAKES

yields about six 3" potato cakes


2 cups mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, drained and squeezed dry
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons green onions, just the green parts, finely chopped
3 strips bacon, cooked crisp, then crumbled
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Combine potatoes, sauerkraut, egg, flour, garlic powder, onions, bacon, salt and pepper. Place Panko in a shallow dish. Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet. Shape potato mixture into about 3" diameter cakes. Coat both sides with Panko and place in skillet. Fry until browned, about 5 minutes, then flip over and brown the other side. Make sure you're not frying with too high of heat or they'll brown too quickly and the flour will still have that raw taste. Remove to paper towel to drain.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Other Side of Fifty, Maggie Lauer, Indiana