OVERVIEW
Nothing quite beats a beautifully grilled piece of wild venison, tucked into a roll and served with horseradish and onions on a beautiful day in the great outdoors. There is a huge movement here in Scotland to promote the consumption of game. It is so widely available, roaming freely around the countryside, that when you come to eat it, it feels like a privilege. At the same time, it’s deeply satisfying to know you’re tapping into a greater circle of biodiversity and sustainability.
You’ll end up with a couple more milk buns than you need, but that’s never a bad thing.
PREPARE THE DOUGH AND VENISON
The milk buns can be baked the morning you intend to use your EGG – having these wee show stoppers to hand is always a wonderful idea.
You’ll need to make the dough a day ahead. Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar and yeast and combine. In a separate bowl, combine the milk and egg and whisk briefly. Set the mixer to a medium speed, then gently pour in liquid, kneading for 8 minutes.
Add the butter and salt and knead for a further 8 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl or container and proof overnight.
That same evening, marinate the venison haunch with the olive oil and spice blend, cover and place in the fridge overnight.
BAKE THE MILK BUNS
In the morning, remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a floured surface. Cut and weigh the dough – we’re looking for 100-110g portions. Roll each portion into a tight ball. Line a baking tray with parchment and place each dough ball on the tray, leaving ample space between them. Cover and proof somewhere warm for an hour.
Heat your oven to 180°C. Brush each dough ball with egg, making sure the entire surface is covered. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on top.
DIRTY COOK THE ONIONS
Set up your EGG for dirty cooking, with no cooking surfaces installed. The target temperature is 230°C-250°C. When the coals have burnt down to a bed of glowing embers, place the onions directly onto the embers, close the Dome, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the onions and set aside.
GRILL THE VENISON
Rebuild the EGG by adding a little more charcoal and installing a Cast Iron Searing Grid. The target temperature is 210°C.
Place the venison in the centre of the grid and grill for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the meat to a shallow pan and roast for around 15 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 55°C. Remove and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
PREPARE THE VEG
While the meat is resting, prepare the celeriac and horseradish. Peel the celeriac, slice it into discs, stack them up, then finely slice into thin strips. Add to a bowl. Roughly grate the horseradish and add it to the celeriac. Spoon in the creme fraiche, season with salt and pepper, and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Mix well and taste for seasoning. Slice the ember-baked onions in half and brush away as much of the burnt outer skin as possible, leaving the beautifully steamed hearts. Finally, slice the rested venison and build your rolls. Cut open the milk buns and assemble in this order: onion, sliced venison, followed by the celeriac and horseradish.
