Venison collops

Collops is a Scots corruption of the French term, escallope.  This is a family recipe from the early 1800s.  This is enough to feed four people.

•  1 tablespoon of oil (I use sunflower)
• 1 oz melted butter
• 4 x 6-8 oz thick haunch steaks or meat from the loin
• Freshly ground pepper and sea salt
• 4 tablespons of a robust, red wine
• 2 tablespoons of port
• 1 tablespoon of sloe jelly (or redcurrant, rowan or bramble)
• Lemon juice or red wine vinegar (to taste)
• about one ounce of butter to finish the sauce

 Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and fry the meat at a high heat for about 2 mins on each side.  Once cooked, remove from the pan and ensure that you keep the collops warm.

 Sauce  Add the red wine to the pan and boil up to reduce down, ensuring that you scrape the pan residues into the mixture.  Add port and reduce a little more.  Add the jelly (whichever you have to hand), stir in and reduce a little more.  Finish with the lemon juice (which will balance the sweetness of the sauce), salt and pepper and a knob of butter to give the sauce a sheen.

 Strain the sauce, puddle onto serving plates, place the venison on top and serve with creamy, mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.