Rack of venison, roasted carrots & forager sauce

By Tom Kerridge (BBC Good Food)

This dinner party roast has a touch of autumn about it with the star anise, roasted carrots and blackberries in the sauce.

Ingredients

• 8 medium carrots, washed and peeled
• 4 star anis
  
• 100 gr butter
• 12 juniper berries
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 4 ½ tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 x 6-bone racks of venison, French trimmed
• 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
• 1 litre brown chicken stock
• 50ml sloe gin
• 150g blackberries

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lay the carrots, star anise and butter in a roasting tin. Sprinkle with a little flaky salt and roast for 30 mins.
2. While the carrots cook, crush the juniper berries using a pestle and mortar, then add 1 tsp salt, the thyme and 4 tbsp rapeseed oil.
3. Rub the mix all over the venison racks, then sear in a large, hot frying pan for 4 mins until they are evenly coloured all over.
4. Lower the oven temperature to 60C/40C fan/gas 1/4, put the racks on top of the carrots, bone-side up, and roast for 2 hrs.
5. At this low temperature an electric oven will be more accurate (if using gas, check regularly).
6. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Fry the shallot in the remaining oil in a saucepan over a medium heat until softened. In a separate saucepan, reduce the stock to 300ml, then pour it over the shallot with the sloe gin.
7. Bring to a simmer and reduce slightly. Stir in the blackberries in the final few mins to heat through, then serve.