I have spoken a few times about our lovely local butcher, London Road Butcher of Bexhill (just in case any locals are interested – but he does need a website!). Funnily enough, he was bought up in the same road as House Number One. Small world.
We recently saw a programme about cooking with traditional ingredients that are falling out of fashion, and venison was mentioned. I hadn’t eaten if for years and Big Man didn´t know if he had ever tasted it. In a timely fashion, the butcher had venison chops (which looked more like smaller versions of T-Bone steaks) for sale, so how could I say no?
The chops were cooked very simply – salted, rubbed with a little olive oil and cooked on a very hot griddle pan. To go with them I made creamed spinach and mushrooms which I have since made again and served simply with rice. A great vegetarian dish (but obviously not when you have a slab of Bambi´s mother on the plate next to it). Quantities are flexible, the process is simple.
Ingredients (to serve 2 people)
- About 10 chestnut mushrooms, cut into medium slices
- 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- About 4-6 cups of washed spinach leaves
- A splash of white wine
- 2 heaped tablespoons of full fat crème fraîche (don´t use the low fat version for this, it will split and be very runny)
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
Gently fry the mushrooms and garlic in a little oil with the lid on the pan until the mushrooms start to release some of their juices. Add a splash of white wine and the spinach and cover again. When the spinach has wilted, removed the lid, season and turn the heat up so that most of the liquid evaporates. Turn the heat down low, stir in the crème fraîche, add a final grind of pepper and serve.
Chica Andaluza 
Salivating!
🙂 Mandy
Mind that keyboard doesn´t get wet!
This looks completely fantastic – even though it’s only breakfast time! x
I can eat savoury leftovers for breakfast – maybe not the chop though!
I’ve never had venison chops but after seeing yours, I’ll keep an eye out!
I had only ever eaten haunch or bits that were braised and it was a great experience to try something so new to new.
You know me – Bambi’s Mum is safe from any danger from this household:)
Someone has to look after her!
Delicious looking recipe. Bambi’s mom out here in India, NO, but nice Pork chops I just might be able to get – also your Vegetarian version sounds delicious, will try. Thanks.
This would be good with anything, even grilled chicken, but I´ve since made the spinach and mushrooms just to eat on its own we like it so much (or with rice)!
you sound like you are on great form Tanya, “a slab of bambis mother” had me chuckling 🙂
Hate to tell that I just love the taste of ‘Bambi’s Mom’ [oh, why was that put to us like that 😦 !?]: N German restaurants used to be extra good with their recipes in the olden days and i could not wait to partake – perhaps just as well it is hard to get Down Under . . . 🙂 !
I´m sorry – that my British Black humour coming out 😉 It does taste remarkably good, I agree!
They look fantastic! My butcher always has venison, but I’ve never seen chops on sale, in general it’s diced, steaks or joints. I’ll have to ask – I’d eat Bambi and his mum 🙂
I agree, that´s why I snapped up the chops. I´d only ever eaten venison roasted or braised previously!
This looks amazing. So simple and so delicious!
Thanks Bam – I´m all about keeping it simple and tasty!
And good butcher is one thing I’ve not found where we live Tanya :). Lucky you!
Yes, it does make a difference and although supermarket meat has improved very much, it´s not as tasty as good organic meat!
Well, Tanya, Bambi’s mum lives near here and feasts on the apples that fall from our trees. I just couldn’t think of disturbing her peace. BUT…I do like the sounds of the mushroom spinach sauce you’ve got going there!
Yes, leave her to enjoy the apples, while you enjoy the spinach and mushrooms!
This looks and sounds like a lovely combination, though I can’t remember the last time I had venison. I’ve been making a lot of creamed spinach lately and love the idea of adding mushrooms to it!
I am a bit of a mushroom fiend and we do seem to get some nice ones round here!
Now …. who do I know who goes hunting?
Oooh – mind they don´t shoot a hobbit (I think they roam the lands where you live)!
Only last night we watched my foodie hero Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall use as much of a deer as he could after shooting the poor thing before it’s antlers grew too big (along with its chewy tendons…). I noted that the Christmas special was from 2008 and wonder what Mr Whittingstalls newfound love of vegetarianism is going to yield for this years Christmas special. In his 2008 reworking of Christmases past he managed to stuff that venison into every single course (the suet went into his boozy roly poly equivalent of plum pudding) and there is something quintessentially wholesome, heartwarming and altogether hipstery about good old Hugh and his frugal ethics that gives we penniless hippies a good old dose of “feel good” in the middle of the crazy rush towards a maniacal haul of profits for banks come february. He didn’t mention the ubiquitous chop but that was only because he pinched the meaty bit of the chops to make canapes and used the boney bit for stock so I guess you could technically say that he did serve “chops” per-se ;). The spinach and mushroom part of your wonderful meal is a distinct possiblity here on Serendipity Farm at the moment. I have fresh spinach growing exponentially at the moment and the mushroom compost that we dressed our new veggie gardens in has been producing a bumper crop of Swiss browns that I am having to think up ways of using. Its snowing?! Time to get snow on Serendipity Farm! The weather might not allow it but WordPress certainly can ;).
I love HFW, he has a new series here in the UK called 3 Good Things where he and 2 other chefs challenge each other to create simple dishes from, yes, 3 good things! Lucky you to have spinach and mushrooms growing – ooh, you could make stuffed pancakes, cannelloni….pasta…mmmm 🙂
YUM! That looks really good.
Thank you 🙂
Sounds truly yummy – and I’ll bet I could even get our Junior Member to eat the spinach!
I think she´d like the cremay taste!
This sounds like one great meal, Tanya. Way to take advantage of the local markets! I’ve not had venison in many years; it’s just not available here. We do have spinach, though, and I bet your dish will taste just as good alongside pork or beef or lamb.
Yes, I´ve been very lucky here with the small local shops. And that spinach is great with most things (even pasta!)
They do look good. Is the flavour similar to anything? I know that’s a silly question, but you know what I mean…
Yeah, I wondered that, Jo – though usually when you ask that question people say it tastes like chicken! I somehow doubt that venison tastes like chicken.
I’m sure that Tanya’s creamed spinach and mushrooms will go with so many meats and rice.
Wonderful!
Made me laugh – nothing like chicken as you quite rightly guessed! Lamb/game…strong but not overly so. Very good indeed. And yes, that spinach goes well with most things (not ice cream or custard though) 😉
Not a silly question at all – to me, it tasted like a more “gamey” lamb flavour but over powering or too “high” as some game can be.
Yum I love venison but boy is it pricey here. I need to cultivate a few more hunting friends …. BTW what do you do with the chestnuts? Can they be canned ones as I haven’t seen fresh ones here even in markets.
I used brown mushrooms which are called chestnut mushrooms (did I make a typo, will have to check!) but now you mention it, I think chestnuts and game would go really well together. I think canned chestnuts are great as it saves a lot of hassle preparing them – especially if you are going to cook with them!
Oh I want one of those! A good simple chunk of meat, mmm… 🙂
Simple, needed nothing more than salt, pepper and oil and plenty of heat!
The sauce with rice sounds lovely, and perfect for a quick supper.
Poor Bambi 😦
Poor Bambi indeed 😦 but she went out in style!
I’ve never heard of venison chops (I didn’t even know they sold venison “chops”) – for me, it’s not so much that it’s out of fashion as it is just impossible to find here, except for a small window of time around Christmas – which reminds me – I must go and pick some up. I like it a lot, myself. Love the sound of this dish too – perfect accompaniments too!
It was new to me – they´re about half the size of a t-bone and much bigger than a lamb chop – and very good indeed!
Mmmhh, looks lovely, but I could never eat Bambi’s mum. I think I’ll stick to pork chops (although I don’t know about eating Wilbur’s mum……… but pork chops are so tasty!). Many years ago I went to a bar and the guy said they had just brought in some fresh “gamo” and asked if I wanted to try some. My friend (who was British) and I, who didn’t know much Spanish then, well, we didn’t know what “gamo” was but we thought, why not, we’d try anything once. It was very tasty. But it made me sad when I went home and looked it up in the dictionary and discovered that “gamo” was Bambi’s mummy (or probably more likely his daddy, because it was large!).
Perhaps I was a bit lurid in my description but I can understand your reluctance! I didn´t know the word gamo but I too have ordered things and had something quite unexpected turn up too!
The whole meal sounds delicious. Venison isn’t usually sold in our markets but I love it.
Thanks Karen – we don´t get it where we are in Spain so I thought I´d make the most of it in England!
9.15 in the morning and I want to eat this now!
If a haunch of venison was good enough for Henry VIII´s breakfast, I´m sure a little chop would be quite appropriate nowadays!
oooooh haunch of venison…stoppit!