Sweet Potato Gratin
3 medium to large sweet potatoes
1 cup whipping cream
allspice to taste
salt and white pepper to taste
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and thinly slice potatoes and toss with cream. Place in a greased baking dish, sprinkling each layer with allspice, salt, and white pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, top with cheese, and continue to bake uncovered until cheese is barely golden brown.
Mustard Greens
2 bunches mustard greens
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium shallot, minced
salt and white pepper to taste
Remove stems, rinse, and tear greens into smallish pieces. Cook in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes, then drain. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté butter, garlic, and shallot until light brown, about 5 minutes. Lower heat, add greens, and sauté for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper.
Black Fig Demiglace
1 cup veal or beef demiglace (packaged concentrate often stocked with soup mixes)
6 dried black figs, thinly sliced
Prepare demiglace and heat, with figs, over medium-low heat.
Venison
1/4 cup dried mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce or .03 pound), minced or ground
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
1 rack of venison or lamb (a typical 1.4-pound venison rack contains 9 smallish chops)
slices of fried or dried apple to decorate rib bones (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix mushrooms, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper, then set aside. Sear meat in a lightly greased pan over high heat. Oil meat sparingly, pat on bread crumb mix, and roast for 21 minutes (for a 1.4-pound rack) or until medium-rare. Slice between ribs.
To serve, cut sweet potato gratin into squares and place on top of mustard greens on individual plates. Prop venison chops against them and drizzle plates with demiglace. Serves 3.
