Blackberry braised red cabbage with venison

• butter↗1 tbsp tbsp
• red onion↗1

  thinly sliced

• small red cabbage↗1

  (about 600g/1lb 5oz), cored and thinly sliced

• balsamic vinegar↗5 tbsp tbsp
• soft brown sugar↗3 tbsp tbsp
• mixed spice1 tsp tsp
• redcurrant jelly↗2 tbsp tbsp
• venison↗4

  steaks (about 175g/6oz each)

• blackberry↗175g g
• crème de mure or crème de cassis↗2 tbsp tbsp

  (optional)

• oil1 tbsp tbsp
• mashed potato

  to serve

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook slowly for 10 mins until really soft. Add the cabbage, vinegar, sugar, mixed spice and half the jelly along with 100ml water, then season. Bring to the boil, stir, then cover with a lid. Cook for 40 mins over a medium-low heat. Meanwhile, remove the venison from the fridge to come to room temperature.

2. 2

   Add the blackberries and crème de mure or crème de cassis, if using, to the cabbage mixture. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 5-10 mins until the liquid has evaporated and the blackberries have broken down slightly.

3. 3

   Heat a frying pan until hot. Rub the venison steaks with the oil, then season. Cook in the hot pan for 4-5 mins on each side, depending on thickness, for medium-rare. In the final 1 min of cooking, add the remaining jelly to the pan and spoon it over the steaks as it melts. Remove the steaks from the pan and leave to rest. Serve the cabbage and venison with mashed potato.