Roast deer chops with sautéed wild mushrooms and hazelnuts,
served with pumpkinseed oil and jerusalem artichoke purée

Serves 4

4 deer chops
500 g (1 lb) wild mushrooms (of your choice)
500 g (1 lb) Jerusalem artichokes
300 ml (10 oz) brown sauce
1 l milk
200 g (6 oz) butter
pumpkinseed oil (to taste)
vegetable oil
1 French shallot
roasted hazelnuts (to taste)
100 ml (3 oz) Port
salt and pepper

Directions

Peel the Jerusalem artichokes and cook in seasoned milk. Drain and purée the artichokes. Add 100 g (3 oz) of butter and enough milk (if necessary) to obtain the desired consistency. Reserve.

Chop the shallot and sauté in a little butter. Add the Port and reduce by two thirds. Then add the brown sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes. Reserve.

Briefly sauté the mushrooms in very hot vegetable oil and drain. Then brown gently in a little butter, adding the roasted hazelnuts at the last minute along with a bit of pumpkinseed oil.

Season the deer chops and sear them on each side on high heat. Finish cooking in the oven until they reach the desired doneness.

Place one chop on each plate along with the sautéed mushrooms. Garnish with the Jerusalem artichoke purée. Top each plate with a little brown sauce and a drizzle of pumpkinseed oil.

This recipe has been adapted from the main course to be featured on Ricardo’s menu May 4-6 at Nuances restaurant.

It is also the recipe which was prepared by the Casino de Montréal’s Executive chef, Jean-Pierre Curtat, when he appeared on Radio-Canada’s Ricardo program.