Venison Tenderloin with Chili‑Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

• 250 g starchy potatoes (from the day before)
• 150 g small carrots (2 small carrots)
• 2 onions
• 100 g celery root (0.25 celery root)
• 350 g chopped game bones for stock (preorder from dealer)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 400 ml red wine
• 500 ml game stock
• 0.5 small red chili pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 40 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa content)
• nutmeg
• 2 egg yolks
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tbsp flour (and extra for dusting)
• 340 g venison tenderloin (2 tenderloins)
• 1 Garlic clove
• 2 sprigs Rosemary
• 20 g butter
• 2 stalks Parsley

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the potatoes the day before and cook them with skins on. Drain and peel. The next day wash and peel carrots, peel onions, wash and peel celery root. Cut carrots, onions, and celery into about 2 cm pieces.

2. 2.

   Rinse the bones. Heat 1 tbsp oil and roast the bones in it over medium heat until light brown.

3. 3.

   Add the vegetables and fry for 3‑4 minutes until lightly browned. Add half of the wine and reduce completely.

4. 4.

   Add the remaining wine and reduce to about half. Top up with game stock. Add chili pepper and bay leaf, then simmer on low heat for about 2 hours.

5. 5.

   Strain the stock through a fine sieve and reduce to 250 ml. Chop the chocolate and stir in.

6. 6.

   Pass the potatoes through a press or grate finely. Grate some nutmeg. In a bowl mix with egg yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add flour and work into a smooth dough.

7. 7.

   Shape the dough on a floured surface into cigar‑shaped noodles and chill.

8. 8.

   Season the venison tenderloins with salt and pepper. Smash garlic with its skin. Wash rosemary and shake dry.

9. 9.

   Heat remaining oil in a pan. Brown the venison with garlic and rosemary sprigs on all sides. Remove from pan and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (fan‑forced 160 °C, gas: level 2‑3) on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Take out of oven, wrap in foil, and rest for 10 minutes.

10. 10.

    Meanwhile cook the dumplings in boiling salted water for 2‑3 minutes, lift with a slotted spoon and drain well.

11. 11.

    Sauté butter in a pan until foamy, then brown the dumplings golden. Wash parsley, shake dry, remove leaves and chop. Season dumplings with salt, pepper, and fold in parsley.

12. 12.

    Slice the venison into rounds. Warm the sauce, adjust seasoning if needed. Serve the venison with sauce and dumplings.