Venison Steaks with Caraway Swede (Printable)

Pan-seared venison steaks with creamy caraway-spiced swede mash. Hearty British comfort food for cold evenings.

# What You Need:

→ Venison

01 - 4 venison steaks, 5.3-6.3 oz each
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
04 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Crushed Swede

05 - 1 large swede (rutabaga), peeled and diced, approximately 2 lbs
06 - 1.4 oz unsalted butter
07 - 2 tablespoons double cream or milk
08 - 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
09 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Optional Sauce

10 - 3.4 fl oz red wine
11 - 3.4 fl oz beef or game stock
12 - 1 teaspoon redcurrant jelly
13 - 1 teaspoon cold butter

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the diced swede and cook for 20-25 minutes until very tender.
02 - Pat the venison steaks dry with paper towels. Rub with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Allow to rest at room temperature.
03 - Toast the caraway seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Remove and set aside.
04 - Drain the swede thoroughly and return to the pot. Add butter, double cream, toasted caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Mash until mostly smooth with rustic texture. Keep warm.
05 - Heat a heavy-based skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat. Sear the venison steaks for 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare, adjusting for desired doneness. Rest on a warm plate loosely covered for 5 minutes.
06 - In the same pan, deglaze with red wine. Add stock and redcurrant jelly. Bubble until syrupy, then whisk in cold butter off the heat. Season to taste.
07 - Arrange venison steaks over the caraway crushed swede. Spoon the sauce over the steaks if using.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Venison stays incredibly tender when you resist the urge to overcook it, rewarding restraint with a texture that feels like velvet.
  • The caraway seeds transform humble swede into something that tastes like it belongs in a countryside inn, warm and slightly mysterious.
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, yet it feels like the kind of meal you'd plan days ahead.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, and the mash actually improves overnight as the caraway deepens.
02 -
  • Venison continues cooking after you pull it from the heat, so aim for one degree under your target doneness or you'll end up with leather.
  • If the swede mash feels too thick, loosen it with a splash of the cooking water rather than more cream, which can make it heavy.
  • Resting the meat is not optional, no matter how impatient you are, unless you want all those precious juices running onto the plate instead of staying in the steak.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer and pull the venison at 52C for perfect medium-rare, then let carryover heat finish the job.
  • Make the mash ahead and reheat it gently with a splash of milk, it actually tastes better the next day as the caraway blooms.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks greasy, a quick blitz with a stick blender will bring it back together into a silky emulsion.
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