Venison Steak in Chestnut Sauce

Ingredients:
6 ounces chestnuts
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth	1/2 bay leaf, crumbled
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons Madeira wine
2 (6 ounce) venison steaks (about 1 1/4
inches thick)

Directions:
1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (200 degrees C). Slice the skin to allow 
steam to escape. Place the chestnuts in a baking pan, and bake in the preheated 
oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool. Peel off the shell, and chop. 
You should have about 1 cup chopped chestnuts.
2.	Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, 
the onions and carrots in the butter until soft. Stir in the flour, and cook until 
the flour browns. Mix in the broth, and season with bay leaf, and salt and pepper. 
Simmer for 15 minutes.
3.	Preheat broiler, and position a rack 5 inches below the broiler element. 
Place the venison steaks in a broiling pan. Cook 5 minutes on each side. 
Transfer to a hot platter.
4.	Strain the solids from the broth, and return the broth to the pan. 
Stir in Madeira and chestnuts. Pour hot chestnut sauce over venison steaks, and serve.
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Venison Steaks with Chestnuts and Figs

 1/2 tb Butter
 Black pepper
 50 g Chopped green onions
 200 ml Port wine
 300 ml Stock
 24 Peeled chestnuts
 1 tb Butter
 8 Venison medallions
 4 Figs

1. Melt half a tablespoon of butter in a heavy saucepan, add a good grinding of 
black pepper and gently cook 50 g chopped green (spring) onions. Add 200 mL port 
and reduce. Add 300 mL stock and 24 peeled chestnuts and simmer for about 20 min 
or until the sauce becomes syrupy. Set aside and keep warm. 
2. Heat a heat a heavy-based frying pan, add a tablespoon of butter. When it is 
very hot, cook 8 medallions of venison, each about 1 cm thick. 
3. Sear them for a maximum of 1 minute on each side, to ensure they are still rare. 
4. Meanwhile, butter a baking tray and slice onto it 4 figs. Place under a grill 
to heat through. 
5. Divide the sauce and chestnuts between four heated plates and add to each plate 
2 medallions of venison and a fan of fig slices. Serve immediately.