BOSSIE SMOKED SPRINGBOK LOIN WITH RED PLUM SAUCE, ROASTED PLUMS & CINNAMON MUSHROOMS

KLEIN KAROO

Serves 4

800g springbok loin

Cooking oil

Smoke the springbok loin for 10 minutes in a smoker with the following mixture:

A handful of fynbos, dried

1 tablespoon juniper berries

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablesopoon dried coriander

Season the loin with salt and pepper Warm the oil in a hot pan. Sear the loin on both sides for 4-5 minutes and set aside to rest.  Cut into 4 equal portions.

Red plum sauce

2 diced plums

1 cup venison or beef stock (good quality homemade stock is essential)

1 cup Touriga Nacional or other red wine of your choice

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and reduce until 3/4 cup of liquid is left. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roasted plums

2 red & 2 yellow plums, skin on, halved and pitted

1tablespoon sugar

1 sprig thyme

1 sprig rosemary

Black pepper

Place the plum halves, skin-side up, on an oven-proof tray. Sprinkle with the sugar, thyme, rosemary and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the plums under medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the skin is easily removed. Cut 1 red plum & 1 yellow  plum into quarters. Dice the remaining two plums into small pieces. Reserve any juices from the pan

Cinnamon mushrooms

4 button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 tablespoon butter

2ml ground cinnamon

Sauté the mushrooms in the cinnamon butter over medium heat for three minutes, or until hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To plate

Arrange the mushrooms and plums on four plates. Put the springbok in the centre of each plate. Spoon the red plum sauce around the plate. Garnish with deep-fried root vegetable chips (eg parsnips, sweet potato, potato) and leeks julienne. Sprinkle with lemon thyme leaves.

- Hetta Terblanche, Formerly Laborie

Red

The Klein Karoo is renowned for its luscious dessert wines, its port-style wines - Calitzdorp is the epicentre for these fortified wines - and more recently for its dry red wines made from typically Portuguese varieties like touriga nacional, tinta barocca and tempranillo. Springbok (and indeed most venison dishes) are best served with a powerful red wine. Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Shiraz or a classic Bordeaux-style blend are all good choices but the aforementioned dry reds also work well.

Boplaas Touriga Nacional

Joubert-Tradouw R62 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot

Tradouw Merlot