Venison Cannelloni Recipe (2024)

1

To begin, make the pasta. Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the salt and oil, then gradually mix in the whole eggs and egg yolks until incorporated

2

Knead the dough for 10–15 minutes until smooth. Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes

3

Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into 4 pieces. Flatten each piece with a rolling pin to about a 5mm thickness. Fold over the dough and pass it through the pasta machine at its widest setting, refolding and rolling several times (not changing the setting) until you have a rectangular shape. It is important to work the dough until it is nice and smooth, as this improves the texture

4

Now you are ready to roll out the dough. Starting with the pasta machine at its widest setting, pass the dough through the rollers. Without folding the dough, repeat this process, decreasing the roller setting down grade by grade with each pass

5

Finish the pasta on the penultimate setting – you want the pasta to have a nice bite to it so don't roll it too finely

6

Cut into 6 and reserve between sheets of greaseproof paper until ready to cook

7

To make the venison ragù, add half the oil to a frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. Cook the venison (in batches if necessary) until evenly coloured, draining the fat after each batch in a colanderuntil all the meat is coloured

8

Add more oil to a heavy-based pan and sweat the vegetables, juniper and garlic for 4–5 minutes. Add the tomato purée and cook out for 2 minutes

9

Return the meat to the pan with the vegetables and deglaze with the wine. Reduce by half before adding the stock and thyme

10

Cover with a cartouche, reduce the heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes, or until the venison is very tender and soft. Remove the paper and reduce on a high heat until you are left with a rich ragout. Season with salt and pepper to taste and reserve until required

11

To make the Parmesan sauce, add the butter to a saucepan and melt over a medium heat. Meanwhile, warm the milk and cream together in a separate pan. Beat the flour into the butter to make a roux, cooking out for a minute or so, then stir in the warmed cream and milk until you have a smooth and creamy béchamel

12

Add the Parmesan and melt over a low heat until the cheese is fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste

13

Preheat a deep-fryer (or deep pan half-filled with oil) to 180°C

14

Add the kale to the hot oil – take care as the oil will spit due to the water content of the kale. Keep frying just until the spitting just about stops – any longer and it will become burnt and bitter

15

Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt. Leave to cool until nicely crisp

16

Add a large knob of butter and a dash of oil to a pan and place over a medium heat. Once the butter is foaming, add the girolles and fry until golden. Season with salt and pepper

17

Blanch the pasta sheets in salted boiling water for 1–2 minutes until tender, but still retaining a bite. Drain well and lay the sheets on a work surface

18

Spoon the braised venison filling over the sheets, covering 1/3 of the surface. Lift one side over the filling to form the cannelloni

19

Transfer the cannelloni onto serving plates, rolling the cannelloni so that the joins are underneath. Spoon over some of the braising juices and plenty of Parmesan sauce (you want to be generous with this as it provides much of that traditional cannelloni flavour in this dish)

20

Top with the fried mushrooms and crispy kale for texture, then finish with grated Parmesan, sea purslane and some grated truffle, if desired