Venison steaks with kumara and parsnip bake

Tamara West

Orange kumara adds a wonderful sweetness to the dish and I am thinking that even those not so keen on parsnip might well enjoy this.

Ingredients

50 g	Butter
500 g	Orange kumara, peeled
500 g	Parsnips, peeled
2 cloves	Garlic, cut into slivers
1 Tbsp	Fresh thyme
1 cup	Chicken stock, or vegetable stock, use more if needed
4	Venison, steaks (Main)
6 stems	Silverbeet, roughly chopped
1 to serve	Fruit chutney

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 190C. Use half of the measured butter to grease a medium-sized ovenproof baking dish.
2. Cut kumara and parsnip into 3mm thick slices (a mandolin is useful here).
3. Layer kumara and parsnip slices with the garlic, thyme and remaining butter into the baking dish finishing with kumara slices. Carefully pour in the stock and season.
4. Cover with baking paper and foil, place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove paper and foil and bake for a further 25 minutes until kumara and parsnip are tender.
5. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Rub venison steaks with olive oil and season with freshly ground black pepper. Place in the hot pan and pan-fry for 6 minutes, turning once for medium-rare venison. Transfer to a warmed plate, cover loosely with foil then a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile steam silverbeet until tender, or boil in a little lightly salted water.
7. Cut kumara and parsnip bake into squares and place one on each of 4 warmed dinner plates. Divide silverbeet between plates and top with a venison steak. Finish with a good dollop of chutney.