Pictured:
Thomas Parker and Ryan Dare

Venison loin 200-300g pieces

Tofu 100g

Oyster mushrooms 60g

Puy lentils 150g

Pear ½

Cider 150ml

Brown onion 50g

Garlic clove 4

Carrot 50g

Brown chicken stock 250ml

Fresh thyme 15g

Fresh rosemary 15g

Fresh parsley 10g

Butter 125g

Tomato puree 20g

Lemon ½

Method:

1. Start by preparing your vegetables and proteins, finely slice your onion, finely dice your carrot, mince 2 garlic cloves, roughly chop your oyster mushrooms, cube your butter and reserve in ice water, juice the lemon into a small tub and finely slice pear and submerge in lemon water to keep them fresh.
2. Make sure the venison is cleaned of any silver skin and is a uniform shape then cube your tofu and set aside.
3. In a saucepan, blanche your diced carrots until cooked ¾ of the way, drain and set aside.
4. In another saucepan, sweat the sliced onion in a touch of vegetable oil and caramelise, then add your minced garlic, thyme and rosemary, cook this out until fragrant.
5. Add your tomato puree and cook out for 2-3 minutes then deglaze the pan with a slash of the cider, reduce this to a glaze then add your lentils and diced tofu for the ragu.
6. Warm your lentils gently through before adding half of the chicken stock, as the lentils cook keep adding the stock gradually bit by bit until cooked through, monte (whisk chunks of cold butter into a hot sauce to make it rich, glossy and thick) through some butter and keep warm before serving.
7. Heat a frying pan on high heat until hot enough to sear, add some vegetable oil and wait for the oil to warm through and sear your venison loins, ensuring to season properly with some of the onion, garlic, and herbs – be careful not to let them catch.
8. Sear from approx. 2-3 minutes each side or until browned, add your remaining garlic, thyme and rosemary and add the remaining butter and baste for a further 4-5 minutes, if using a temperature probe the venison should read 52°C internally for rare.
9. Remove the venison from the pan and rest for approx. 5-7 minutes, in the same pan sauté your oyster mushrooms, warm your plates up, check the seasoning of the ragu, add chopped parsley and warm through.
10. When ready to plate up carve the rested venison, spoon on the Ragu, place the venison on top followed with the oyster mushrooms, and raw pear to finish.