Reindeer Striploin Steak with Root Vegetable Purée

Ingredients

• 700 g Pokka Reindeer Striploin
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 20 g butter, for frying
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 400 g celeriac
• 300 g parsnips
• 1 dl whipping cream
• 30 g butter, for the purée
• 1 shallot
• 2 dl red wine
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 2 dl vegetable stock
• 1 tsp blackcurrant jelly
• 30 g cold butter, diced, for the sauce

Method

1. If the striploin is frozen, thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours. Take it out 30 minutes before cooking, pat it dry, trim off any sinew and cut it into 4 steaks about 3 cm thick.
2. Peel and dice the celeriac and parsnips, cover with salted water and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until very soft. Drain, add the cream and the butter for the purée and blend until completely smooth. Season with salt and keep warm.
3. For the sauce, finely chop the shallot and soften it in 1 tsp of the oil in a small pan. Add the red wine and thyme and boil until reduced by half. Add the stock and blackcurrant jelly and reduce again to about 1.5 dl. Remove the thyme.
4. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy frying pan over a high heat and fry the steaks for 2–3 minutes on each side. Add the butter for frying in the last minute and spoon it over the meat. Medium-rare is 54 °C in the centre.
5. Rest the steaks on a warm plate under foil for 5 minutes. Pour the resting juices into the sauce, take the pan off the heat and whisk in the cold butter a piece at a time until the sauce is glossy.
6. Slice the steaks and serve on the purée with the red wine sauce.