Delaney's roast venison shoulder with baby beets and white bean mash

A roast meal is one of the most comforting things you can cook. Having friends over for a decent piece of meat, seasonal sides and a few wines is a good way to spend a Sunday night, making your weekend feel that little bit longer before the working week begins again.

Wine match: Selaks Reserve Syrah

Venison

400 g	Venison, use a venison shoulder roast, I used Silver Farms' pre-packaged one (Main)
½ tsp	Juniper berries
1 Tbsp	Black peppercorns
2 Tbsp	Olive oil

White bean mash

2 cans	White beans, 400g each, e.g. cannellini, butter beans, haricot beans or similar (Main)
1 Tbsp	Lemon zest
1 tsp	Crushed garlic
1 Tbsp	Olive oil
¼ cup	Fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Baby beets

2 bunches	Baby beetroots
½ Tbsp	Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 Tbsp	Red wine vinegar

Directions

Vension

1. Preheat oven to 200C. using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind together the juniper berries and the pepper.
2. Rub the venison in olive oil, and then rub over the pepper mix. Heat a frying pan to high heat, and sear the venison on all sides.
3. Place in a roasting dish, and cook for 20-25 minutes. remove from oven, cover in tinfoil and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with mash and beets.

White bean mash

1. Drain cans of beans and place in a saucepan on low-medium heat. Add lemon zest, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper, and mash together with a fork. Check seasoning by tasting, and adjust if necessary.
2. Get it up to heat, and keep it warm. Once you're ready to serve, remove from heat and stir through the parsley.

Baby beets

1. Cut the rough ends off the beets, and slice off any rough patches of skin.
2. Lay a large piece of tinfoil over a small roasting dish. Add beets and all other ingredients. Bring the tinfoil over the top, and seal together on top in a large pouch.
3. Roast in the oven for approximately 25 minutes, along with the venison. Serve together, with the mash.