Venison Tenderloin with Nut Crust and Candied Chestnuts

Ingredients

• 600 g venison tenderloin (pre‑trimmed)
• Salz
• Pfeffer (from the mill)
• Butterschmalz (for searing)
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 3 Juniper berries
• 150 g butter
• 2 EL chopped hazelnuts
• 2 EL ground hazelnuts
• 50 g breadcrumbs
• 300 g flour
• 4 eggs
• 0.5 TL salt
• Pfeffer
• Muskat
• 50 g sugar
• 20 ml maple syrup
• 1 EL Butter
• 150 ml whipping cream
• 200 g chestnuts (frozen or vacuum‑cooked)
• 10 ml kirschwasser
• 2 EL Butter
• 2 EL pickled lingonberries (jarred)
• 0.5 bunch Parsley

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 100°C (top and bottom heat).

2. 2.

   Heat a little butterschmalz in a pan. Season the meat and brown it all around in the hot fat. Wrap the venison tenderloin in foil, add thyme, rosemary, and pressed juniper berries, seal the foil, place on a sheet pan and bake for about 25 minutes.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile melt butter for the crust. Mix in the nuts and breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper. Chill the crust mixture to firm up.

4. 4.

   Bring plenty of salted water to boil in a wide pot for the spätzle.

5. 5.

   In a bowl combine all ingredients with enough water to form a slightly stiff dough (hand mixer with dough hook). Portion the dough into a spätzle press and scrape into the boiling water. Cook the spätzle for about 2 minutes, remove with a skimmer, drain in a colander, rinse cold, let dry on a large board or work surface. Repeat until dough is used up.

6. 6.

   Remove the cooked venison from the oven, set aside, and preheat the oven to grill mode.

7. 7.

   Take the meat out of the foil, discard the seasonings, place on a sheet pan. Shape about 0.5 cm thick crust “plate” the size of the meat, lay it on top, and grill for 3–5 minutes until golden brown.

8. 8.

   For the chestnuts cook sugar in a pan over constant stirring until light brown. Add maple syrup and butter. Pour in cream and reduce slightly. Add chestnuts, simmer briefly, add water if needed, finish with kirschwasser.

9. 9.

   Chop parsley finely. Foam butter in a hot pan.

10. 10.

    Sauté the spätzle with drained lingonberries, warm, season with salt, pepper and parsley, then plate with sliced venison. Scatter some chestnuts with sauce over the top and serve the rest separately.