Seared Venison with Mushroom Risotto and Asparagus

Ingredients

For the asparagus:

• 1 standard bunch of asparagus, woody side removed
• Olive oil
• Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

For the risotto:

• 5 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• ¼ cup dry white wine, we used vermouth
• 3 cups chicken stock, low sodium
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

For the venison:

• 2x – 8 oz Venison steaks
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided into 4x – ½ Tbsp pats

Directions

To prepare, soak the venison in salt water overnight, minimum 6 hours. When beginning the cooking process, heat the stock in a small saucepan until boiling, reduce heat to low and let simmer. You’ll want the stock to be hot when adding it to the rice.

Prep all ingredients beforehand as this is a multitasking recipe. You’ll  be cooking most of this simultaneously and it should all come together at about the same time. Start with the asparagus, then the risotto. Three quarters of the way through cooking the risotto, you’ll have time to start the venison and check the asparagus.

Prepare the asparagus:

Preheat your oven to 385°F. Lightly drizzle olive oil onto a lipped baking sheet. Add the asparagus in a single layer. Drizzle with additional olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Put in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. This should be just enough time to cook your risotto while you wait, but set a timer. You don’t want to overcook it.

Prepare the risotto:

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced mushroom and saute, moving occasionally until the flesh is dark yellow/slightly brown in color, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

In that same pan, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. Once hot, add the shallot and cook until slightly translucent. The shallot will continue to cook with the other ingredients so don’t brown it at this point.

Add the rice to the skillet and toss to coat. Cook until they turn completely white, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until absorbed.

Add ½ cup of the simmering chicken stock to the rice, stirring 2-3 times per minute until mostly absorbed. Continue to do this, ½ cup of stock at a time, waiting until the stock is absorbed after each addition, until all the stock is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. (Start cooking the venison after you’ve added 1½ cups of stock.)

Remove from heat and stir in butter cubes, cheese, and mushrooms. If it is too thick at this point you can stir in a little bit more stock.

Prepare the venison:

Pat the meat dry. Season with salt, pepper and dried thyme. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add ½ tablespoon pat of butter to each steak and add steak to pan, butter side down. Cook for 4 minutes. Flip the steaks, adding ½ tablespoon pat of butter per steak, setting the steak down on top of the butter. Cook for an additional 4 minutes or until the center of the thickest part of the steak is 130-140°F (medium rare). Any hotter and the meat will become too dry.

Assemble your plates:

Plate the risotto and top with asparagus and venison. Enjoy!