How to best cook a saddle of roe

Cyres

Well-Known Member
I am intending to cook a whole saddle of roe on the bone for New Years eve. It will have to go into an AGA so cannot get the oven that hot.

Has anybody got a trusted method to cook this cut?

I thought this would be a party piece, normally I just pan fry the fillets which are normally superb but in this case its from a beast which I decided to leave the saddle whole.

Thanks

D
 
We've had quite a few Roe roasts in the Aga lately. The best I've had and very succulent.

It doesn't require much - just some suitable herbs etc. Can ask my wife for some instructions if you like.
 
HI Cyres. I find its best to lay streaky bacon over the saddle to retain moisture, the fat helps. Cook for half the time with foil over and remove for second half of cooking.
this works well in my oil Rayburn. and season to your taste.
I hope this helps. Also what is left makes lovely pieces.
Bon apatite.
 
Seal it in on the hob, then stick it in the oven ,wrapped in fatty thick streaky bacon with foil over it,

it wont need anything else mate,

enjoy

kjf
 
HI Cyres. I find its best to lay streaky bacon over the saddle to retain moisture, the fat helps. Cook for half the time with foil over and remove for second half of cooking.
this works well in my oil Rayburn. and season to your taste.
I hope this helps. Also what is left makes lovely pieces.
Bon apatite.

^^this^^

And I'd add a decent bottle of red.

Don't let it anywhere near the venison, but enjoy it by the fire while its cooking..........
 
Don't over cook it - push a sewer into the middle and it should come out warm, but juices should still be pink.

Main thing is to let it rest for a good ten minutes before carving.

I personally don't like adding bacon - too strong a flavour for Roe, just some good olive oil,

Keep hold of the juices and deglaze the pan with some red wine, port - reduce and then thicken with redcurrent jelly, and one square of 90% plus dark chocolate.

Thin slice potatoes and onions, garlic (and even some other roots - parsnips etc) and layer in a pan with some fresh herbs, add a some lardons that have been partially fried, and cover either with a good stock and / or some cream / milk and bake till potatoes all soft unctuous.

Add on some bright green and fresh vegetable vegetable to lighten things up.

Follow with a lemon merangue pie.
 
I'll echo what Heym says.

No need for bacon or foil, and be careful of overcooking. And don't use wine with it while cooking! Wine kills venison - it's astringent and dries out the meat. The flavour obviously complements well, but you need to keep meat and wine separate until the end.

Get the joint out of the fridge early, baste with olive oil and cover with chosen herbs and spices. Let it sit long enough to come to room temp (common mistake is to try to cook when the inside of the meat is still close to freezing). Heat oven to at least 200c. Put meat in. Leave in for no more than 25 mins for roe, 35 for fallow. Take out, put on cutting board and tightly cover with foil. Leave to rest for at least 15 mins. Meanwhile use pan juices and wine/port to make heavy.

The perception that you need to use bacon to keep it moist arises because people think you need to cook it long and low, like a pork or lamb leg. That driesdries it out horribly. You should be aiming to cook it like a really good but of beef - fast and hot, aiming for pink in the middle.

You also need to serve on heated plates. The meat does cool a fair bit when resting, and serving on cold plates really speeds this up.

Almost no part of a roe deer responds well to classic slow cooking - there isn't usually enough fat. Stewing meat (diced shoulder, flank etc) can slow cook well, but again, it's best to leave the wine out until very near the end, and be careful with the amount of salt.
 
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Make good dark game stock which involves wine for the flavour. Freeze once it's drained & cooled in lots of small containers & you then have the basis for a great stew, or the stock can be further reduced & enhanced to make a delicious glaze for pan-fried fillets.

Am currently making stock as I type this in preparation for Christmas.
 
Guys,

Many thanks it was the timings I needed, last time I cooked fillet of roe one of the lady guests said I head reached stratoshperic hieghts in my cooking ability which was a very nice compliment.

Standard sauce is deglaze pan with port/red wine and add this to sauted shallots and garlic, add red currant jelly(Waitrose is best) season to taste and then add 4 segments of dark chocolate it is devine.

I will be able to rest saddle in warming oven.

Will be served with a meddle of winter raosted vegetable.

Suitable reds identified with bottle of NZ S/Blanc for the two ladies.

Pud to be decided but will have suitable Sauternes on hand + port.

Will be sipping champagne whilst in cooking mode.

Its very nice that whilst guests in my friends house she will let me take over her kitchen, however she appreciates it.

May post picture if all turns out OK.

Happy Xmas to you all

D
 
As Mungo says, fast and hot, 220c is the temp i go for, and rest for around 20-30 mins with foil over the op.
No need for anything else.

But, i have no experience in cooking in an AGA, can you get it that hot?

Cheers

Richard
 
For something a little different, if it's not ****ing with rain, stoke up the barbie.

Marinade overnight in olive oil, pepper corns and any other sort of dried berries you find in the store cupboard. Get the barbie nice and hot and give it 4 minutes on each side. Rest for 20 minutes in a warming oven, slice into 10mm medallions at 45 degrees across the saddle and serve.
 
I have pictures and it went v well,

Turned up Aga but couldnt get it that hot,

Got a very heavy roasting pan v hot added olive oil and browned both sides. Then in top of oven for 40 mins and then into the plate warming oven, had 30 mins which was too long because the puff pastry cheese and onion tartletts took ages to bake. Fractionally over cooked for my liking but was appreciated by guests who didnt want it pink. Carved a treat and melted in the mouth.

Sauce: lightly saute 2 shallots and couple garlic cloves, salt pepper, add couple serving spoons of redcurrant jelly disolve, add 50 ml of port and as I was mega extrvagent some Sauternes. Dash of basmatlic vineger to sharpen, add 4 segments of dark chocolate and gentle melt. Added juices from roasting pan thickened as required. Sauce was brilliant.

All done whilst drinking fizz, sampling claret and a snifter of sauterne whilst it breathed.

Sautene went well with Xmas pudding and raspberry sorbett.

Fizz from Lidl, best claret Waitrose, 1/2 bottle 2007 Sauternes from Morrisons.


D

D

I will post pics.

D
 
Far from an expert but I'd be tempted to just seal it on both sides then do it in the warming oven slow. Learning AGA cooking slowly, and tried a haunch in the warming oven alone, took an age but was fantastically tender.
Last New Year I did four whole saddle fillet straps in a large oven pan over the two gas rings, olive oil and seasoning, high temperatures and quick like rare steak, it was quite impressive and not a sliver was left between eight of us.
 
"Almost no part of a roe deer responds well to classic slow cooking"

IMO the shanks, and 'osso bucco' made from the neck sawn into appx 1.5" thick segments works fabulously at 130 C for 3-4 hours, until falling off the bone. If you can resist, let it cool, and reheat for next day, even better. Juicy and unctuous, without the need for fat.

Slow-cooked fore-shank chopped into small dice also works very well indeed, the parchment melts away to leave a lovely rich and juicy sauce, again without the need to add fat.
 
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