Using whisky in a cream sauce is essentially a Scottish invention. Whisky and cream seem destined to live together was we can see from the Atholl Brose. Cooking with whisky requires care, as you do not want to have proper alcohol left in the dish, but you need enough whisky to be able to taste the malt and the slight astringency.
Faced with two venison steaks and a bit of time, I busked this lovely variation of a whisky cream sauce, using mushrooms as an additional veg.
Venison steak with whisky cream sauce
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Loading...Ingredients
- For the sauce:
- 50g butter
- 150g mushrooms – caps sliced and stalks very finely diced
- 1 banana (large) shallot
- 100ml Scotch whisky
- A bouquet garnished of tied fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary and tarragon are ideal)
- 250ml beef stock
- 150ml double cream
- Sea salt and freaky ground black pepper
- For the steaks:
- 2 venison steaks
- Sea salt and freaky ground black pepper
- A slug of vegetable oil and a knob of butter
Instructions
For the sauce:
Heat half the butter in a saucepan until foaming. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until soft
Add the shallot, herbs and whisky. Cook until the whisky is well reduced.
Add the stock and the diced mushroom stalks and simmer again until well reduced (about half the liquid gone).
Add the cream and reduce a little. Finally add the remaining butter and stir in for a thick, glossy finish. Season to taste and keep warm but not simmering while you deal with the meat.
For the steaks:
Season the steaks on each side, pepper first, and then salt.
Heat all the fat in a frying pan until hot. Place the steaks in the pan and cook on high until a crust is formed. Turn them over and reduce the heat to moderate, and cook until done as liked – usually about 4 mins.
Rest the steaks on a board for 10 mins while you do any sides and serve with the sauce poured over.
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