Moroccan spiced venison on falafel cakes

• By foodie User Innes Moffat
  More recipes by this foodie >
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Course: Main Course
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

3 x 65g venison medallions per person
2 tablespoons of Moroccan spice mix

200g of falafel mix
2 cloves of garlic
1 red pepper (blistered and peeled)
1 medium size onion (chopped)
1cup of meat stock
¼ cup of raisins
¼ cup sun-dried apricots (you can substitute other dried fruits such as cherries figs, cranberries or dates)
½ cup of sweet white wine or madeira
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 bunch of spinach
¼ cup of toasted pinenuts
salt and pepper
Cooking oil

Raita
¼ peeled and deseeded cucumber diced very small
½ cup of plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon of chopped mint leaves
1 clove of crushed garlic
squeeze of fresh lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon of zest
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Dust each medallion with the moroccan spice mix and stand for 10 minutes before searing in a hot pan for 2 minutes each side. Remove and rest in a warm place.

In the same pan add a little more oil and sauté the chopped onion with the garlic until soft, add the saffron and the white wine the dried fruit and the vinegar. Reduce by a half and add the meat stock and any juices from the meat. Reduce to a coating consistency or thicken with a little cornstarch.

For the garnish, take 3 tablespoons of the falafel mix per person and fry in a hot pan pressing them into a small cake as you do. Keep warm. Sautee the well washed spinach with the pinenuts and cut the pepper into thin strips. Place a medallion on each falafel cake. Fill the middle with a mound of spinach and top with the julienne of pepper and pour the sauce around. Garnish with a tablespoon of raita.

Recipe by Chef Graham Brown