The Vine and Venison Burger

WHAT SHOULD I HAVE IN MY HAND?

Goes perfectly with our Sharpham Pinot Noir!

So, what am I cooking exactly?

Venison Burger with Mushroom, Blackcurrant

What does James the Chef say?

“The Sharpham Pinot Noir goes really well with game and mushroom flavours. Venison will go well with the blackcurrant flavours in the wine and there’s also a blackcurrant jam and yoghurt too. A touch of black pepper in the burger finishes it off to match the light pepperiness in the wine. Simple, easy and really good a weekend BBQ treat.”

Presuming you have 4 awesome people to feed:

What do I need?

500g venison mince
Salt and cracked black pepper
1 x whole egg
50g whipping or double cream
12 juniper berries (crushed/chopped to a powder)
Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme
1 x small white onion (finely chopped)
2 x button mushrooms (finely chopped)
50g x fine or panko breadcrumbs
100g blackberries
75g set or greek yoghurt
4 x burger buns
4x large flat Portobello mushrooms (remove stalks and peel)
4 x slices cheddar or Emmenthal cheese
8 x gem lettuce leaves
4 x slices tomato
4 slices picked gherkin 

So what do I need to do?

1. Gently sweat the chopped onion and mushroom with the crushed juniper berries and thyme for 15 minutes until very soft, then chill in the fridge (this can be done the day before or well in advance).
2. Simmer the blackberries in a small pan until they break down then reduce the liquid to make a jam consistency, and then chill in the fridge. When the jam is cold, mix with the yoghurt (this can also be done the day before or well in advance).
3. To make the burgers, mix the mince, cooked onion mixture, egg, cream, breadcrumbs, salt and a generous amount of black pepper to combine well
4. Divide the mix into 4 balls that will each weigh about 180-190g
5. Press into burger patties using your hands or a mould if you have one
6. (The burgers can also be made the day before or well in advance and stored in the fridge).
7. When ready to eat, turn oven on to 170⁰c and roast the flat mushrooms with a little salt and olive oil until just cooked
8. Meanwhile barbeque, char grill or pan fry the burgers for about 2-3 minutes on each side until just cooked through to the centre
9. Place a cooked mushroom and slice of cheese on each burger and place in the oven for 2 minutes to just melt the cheese
10. Meanwhile toast the burger buns and assemble the burgers with the blackcurrant yoghurt, lettuce, pickles, tomato slices and serve

NOW POUR ANOTHER GLASS AND ENJOY.

NOM. NOM. NOM.