Intro and Method
On a floured surface, roll out the pastry into a rectangle approximately 25 x 30 cm (10 x 12 inches). Place on a baking sheet, cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge to rest.
Heat a frying pan on a high heat, add the butter and seal the loin of venison, turning it so that it colours all over. Remove from the pan, season and leave to rest and cool completely.
Once you are ready to assemble the dish, take the pastry from the fridge and lay it on a lightly floured surface. Arrange a single layer of the 3 large parsley pancakes on top of the pastry, overlapping the pancakes if necessary. Next, place 3 tablespoons of duxelles into the centre of the pancakes. Spread this out into a layer, the same size as the loin of venison.
Place the venison on top of the duxelles before spreading the remaining duxelles on top of the meat. At this stage, you will have a layer of pastry covered with a layer of the 3 Parsley Pancakes, and in the centre of this the venison covered with duxelles, sitting on a layer of duxelles.
You next need to create a parcel where the venison is wrapped in the pancakes, which in turn are encased in pastry.
Start by folding the 3 Parsley Pancakes over the loin. Then brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg so that you can seal the edges. Next, gently wrap the pastry around the loin. You should end up with a parcel of venison surrounded by a layer of Parsley Pancake, which is encased in pastry. Push any pastry edges tightly together to ensure they are sealed, brushing with more beaten egg if necessary.
Turn the parcel over so that the untidy sealed edges are at the bottom, and set the smooth-topped pastry parcel on a greaseproof-lined baking sheet. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. Remove the venison parcel from the fridge and brush all over with the remaining beaten egg and cook in the oven for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest in a warm place for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
The end result is mouth wateringly delicious.
Recipe supplied by The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, contribution courtesy of Galton Blackiston, proprietor/chef of Morston Hall, Norfolk (www.rabites.org.uk/intro.html)
