Terrine of Wild Venison with Cranberry Sauce

This makes an excellent starter. It can be baked 2-3 days in advance and refrigerated until required. The sauce can also be prepared ahead.

Ingredients

500 g	Venison, wild, minced (Main)
500 g	Venison, sausage meat
2 tsp	Thyme leaves
2 tsp	Black peppercorns
30	Juniper berries
1 tsp	Salt
100 g	Pistachio nuts, halved if whole
¾ cup	Dry white wine

Cranberry sauce

½ tsp	Curry powder
2	Shallots, diced
500 g	Cranberries, frozen (Main)
2 tsp	Grapeseed oil
2 Tbsp	Sugar
¾ cup	Orange juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160degC. Lightly oil a 21cm x 10cm loaf pan or similar. Combine the meats in a large bowl.
2. Crush the juniper berries using a pestle and mortar, if possible. Add to the meat. Crush the peppercorns separately and add to the meat together with the thyme, salt, pistachio nuts and wine. Mix well.
3. Pack into the loaf pan. Cover tightly with a double layer of foil. Place in a roasting pan and add enough boiling water to the pan to reach 3cm in depth. Bake for 1 hour. Remove and cool for 30 minutes.
4. Place 2 or 3 400g cans of food on the top of the foil-covered terrine to weigh it down. Chill for at least 24 hours.
5. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the shallots until soft. Stir in the curry powder and heat for 30 seconds. Add the cranberries, sugar and orange juice. Simmer for about 20 minutes. The mixture should be slightly reduced but the cranberries should retain their shape. Cool then chill.
6. Remove the terrine from the loaf pan. Discard any fat. Serve the meat sliced with the sauce on the side. Great served on a bed of watercress