Roebuck filet in white calville and fuji apples

The wild flavor of roebuck deer is balanced by the tart sweetness of calville blanc and fuji apples in this gourmet French recipe for venison. A rich sauce made with red wine and bitter chocolate flavored with curry and caraway accompanies the dish for an exotic and sensational gastronomic experience. Paired with a bottle of Lalande-Pomerol, this dish will impress even the most discriminating of palates.

Also known as chevreuil, roe deer is a small, reddish and gray-brown Eurasian species of deer. Its meat is often darker and closer-grained than other breeds. Like most venison, roebuck is a lean type of meat with low fat content and should therefore be cooked quickly over high heat to keep it moist, tender and juicy. The best meat comes from very young animals that are not over eighteen months; tasty and delicious, they don’t need to be marinated when cooked.

In this recipe, venison is filleted and the bones and carcasses are used to make the sauce. To make the meat of the venison more tender, you can place it in a releasable plastic bag and then using a meat mallet, pound it on a solid surface until it is half an inch thick. Overcooked venison will dry out and be unpleasantly tough. Ideally, the fillets should be pan-fried over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes each on both sides. Use a thermometer to determine the doneness of the meat. An internal temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit is best, and should not exceed 150 degrees F. After frying, allow the meat to rest for 5 to 10 minutes for the juices to settle and finish the cooking.

Calville Blanc or white calville is a popular variety of apple in Normandy, France. It is typically used in making the famous apple French tart, “tarte aux pommes” because it holds its structure well when cooked. The rich sharp taste of calville makes it ideal for use in this exotic recipe. Combined with the crisp and juicy Fuji apple, they make a perfectly refreshing garnish to roebuck....