Devised by Jose Souto, Westminster Catering College

Venison has very little fat because of this we must take great care cooking it. When we come to cook our Cannon or Loin the first thing we must do is create a seal on the outside of the meat so as to stop the juices escaping and the meat becoming dry. This is done by placing the meat into a very hot pan with some oil and sealing it on all sides before finishing it in the oven.

The Rosemary & Garlic paste in this recipe gives off a fantastic aroma while cooking. Herbs and garlic work well with roasted venison joints, they compliment its flavour as in some areas wild herbs such as Thyme and Lavender are often eaten by game animals and leave a hint of flavour in their meat. The difference in flavour between the commercially available wild venison species is massive. Red, Fallow and Roe all have very distinct flavours with Roe being the strongest and Fallow being the sweetest. Another species that is not indigenous but is becoming more and more available is Muntjac this has one of the strongest of the venison I have tasted.

Devised by Neil Mackenzie, Head Chef, Queens Head - Finalists Game Category, Pub Chef Awards 2005

By top chef Jean Christophe Novelli of Brockett Halls Auberge du Lac

Both the scallop and the venison enjoy spicy flavours, so we serve this brochette with a Masala sauce, made with our own combination of spices, finished with fresh coriander and lime juice.

If you have some bay leaf branches, strip them of their leaves – leaving a few on one end for garnish – and use these as skewers.

Recipe devised by Westminster Catering College, June 2005