Venison with Red Wine Chocolate Sauce with Creamy Celeraic, Carrots and Cabbage

Venison with Red Wine Chocolate Sauce
with Creamy Celeraic, Carrots and Cabbage

I defrosted the tenderloin; it looks like there are two in the pack.

Each one of the two loins had a small almost disconnected narrow
portion from the main section so I cut those into cubes to cook last.
I cut the two tenderloins into two portions each.
After cutting up, I put venison back in fridge
because I could see it would take some time
 to prepare the sauce and the vegetables.

I admit I got this recipe directly from Gordon Ramsay on youtube.
Start with one chopped shallot sauteed in cubes of panchetta,
add two cloves of garlic saute one more minute.
Pour one cup red wine in pan, I used cabernet sauvignon.
Add crushed peppercorns, fresh thyme leaves and a bay leaf.
As Ramsay says reduce, reduce, reduce.
Add one cup of brown chicken stock,.
Here's where I messed up.
I didn't want leftover stock in the fridge 
so I used chicken bouillon instread of stock.
HUGE MISTAKE: chicken bouillon is so salty it ruined the sauce.
Now I see there is a sodium free bouillon, Geez.

Anyway I continued to reduce, reduce, reduce and got salty, salty, salty.
Strain sauce and reduce heat to add the chocolate.
I added about half an ounce unsweetened chocolate, but
could have added more as we couldn't detect chocolate in the sauce.
I didn't grate the chocolate, it melted easily in chunks.
Don't let sauce boil or it may separate.

I removed skin from celeriac and cut into cubes
also cut new carrots into same size pieces, salt & pepper.
 I cooked those in panchetta to coat them but
decided they needed to soften more so added
1/4 cup of water covered them and let them steam till soft.
I turned off the heat and added 8 napa cabbage leaves chopped.
The residual heat steamed the leaves and I added 1/4 cup
of cream to bring the vegetables together.

Last I sauteed the venison loins in avocado oil 
and basted them in butter after searing all sides.
Ramsay recommended placing loins in the oven for 8 minutes,
but my tenderloins were already medium rare in the pan.
Gary raved about the venison over the vegetables
despite the salty sauce.  Neither of us have ever had
celeriac but found it delightful with this meal.
Celeriac if very nutritious, follow the link.

Enjoy !