When it comes to nature, I don’t know if it recognises “alien invasive species”. Does it not just get on with itself, constantly transforming in new and wondrous ways? Does nature know what a native species is?
We may feel that sika deer are beautiful wild things, but unfortunately they're also classed as an invasive species when it comes to Ireland. This means that firstly, they were introduced to the country, by Lord Powerscourt in the 1860s, and secondly, if the population is not kept under control, they can dominate the wildlands and subsume native deer species.
Sika deer are mostly found in Wicklow, but also pop up in other counties such as Kerry and Kilkenny. Though protected, they can be hunted with a licence as this is the only way to control the population. Indeed, this annual culling makes them more sustainable than most meat we regularly consume, such as beef, chicken and pork.
Deer in the forest miraculously turns into venison in the kitchen. Each October I welcome the return of this beautiful wild meat into the restaurant and enjoy serving it with the myriad of other autumn ingredients such as mushrooms, damsons, hazelnuts and pumpkins. Though for many of us pumpkins are only a decoration for Halloween, there are many different varieties such as Crown Prince that offer a great taste of the autumn.
How to make venison steaks with roasted pumpkin puree
Peel and deseed the pumpkin and cut into medium-sized pieces. Place on a tray and season with oil and sea salt. Roast until soft and then blend with some butter and water to make a soft, velvety puree.
For the venison, heat a pan with some oil. Fry the venison steaks until nicely charred on all sides, then add a knob of butter and some fresh thyme. Baste the venison with the foaming butter and then transfer to the oven until cooked to your liking (I prefer it around 55 degrees Celsius which is medium rare).
The venison and puree work well with blanched greens especially broccoli or kale that has been charred. To finish, toast some pumpkin seeds and sprinkle over the top.
