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By Root 889 0

it less daunting for hobby cooks. Note: Begin the recipe a day ahead because the venison must marinate for 24 hours; the sauce, too, is begun in advance. Tip: Because venison is exceptionally lean, ask your butcher to pique it (insert short, thin strips of larding fat over the surface).

One 5-to 6-pound rack of venison, piqued (see Tip above)

4 cups (1 quart) milk

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup water

Juniper-Currant Sauce

2 tablespoons bacon drippings

4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped

1 small celery rib, trimmed and thinly sliced (include some leaves)

1 tablespoon juniper berries

2 large whole bay leaves (preferably fresh)

½ cup dry red wine

¼ cup water

5 cups chicken stock or broth

6 black peppercorns, crushed

½ cup firmly packed red currant jelly

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Venison pan drippings

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 tablespoons flour blended with ¼ cup cold water

Optional Garnishes

Pickled Peaches or Bourbon’d Peaches

Watercress

1. Place the venison in a large nonreactive bowl, pour in the milk, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

2. Meanwhile, begin the sauce: Heat the bacon drippings in a large, heavy saucepan over moderately high heat for 1 minute; add the carrots, onions, celery, juniper berries, and bay leaves and sauté, stirring now and then, for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. Pour in the wine and water and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and peppercorns, bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour.

4. Smooth in the currant jelly and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until the sauce reduces slightly. Strain the sauce through a large fine sieve, discarding the solids. Pour the sauce into a medium-size nonreactive bowl, cover, and refrigerate.

5. When ready to proceed, preheat the oven to 450° F. Lift the venison from the milk (it should be discarded), then rub the meat generously with the salt and pepper.

6. Stand the venison on its rib ends in a large shallow roasting pan and roast uncovered on the middle oven shelf for 15 minutes. Add the 1 cup water and continue roasting, basting often with the pan drippings. Allow 20 to 25 minutes for rare venison, 35 for medium rare; further roasting will toughen the meat. Remove the venison from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, finish the sauce: Bring the chilled sauce to a simmer in a medium-size nonreactive pan, then blend in the cream, venison pan drippings (plus any browned bits), and salt to taste. Quickly whisk a little of the hot sauce into the flour-water paste, stir back into the pan, and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes until thickened and smooth.

8. To serve, arrange the venison on a large heated platter and garnish, if you like, with pickled or bourbon’d peaches and ruffs of watercress. Pour the sauce into a heated gravy boat and pass separately.

CRISPY BATTER-FRIED CHICKEN

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Mark Twain was right: “The North seldom tries to fry chicken and this is well; the art cannot be learned north of the line of Mason and Dixon.” Even south of the Mason-Dixon, few cooks can agree on the best way to fry chicken. Some say that an initial milk (or buttermilk) bath is essential to make the bird succulent. Others insist that salting the bird is more effective because it closes the pores and seals in the juices. Some Southerners salt and pepper the chicken before “battering” it. Others mix the seasonings into the batter, sometimes adding a pinch of paprika to enrich the color. Some cooks shallow-fry the chicken in a big iron skillet; others prefer to deep-fry (to trim cooking time and keep the orders coming, many fast-food restaurants now pressure-fry). Even the skillet school of frying is divided: Some cooks cover the skillet part of the time to keep the bird moist; others don’t. And some even add a little water toward the end of cooking, again to make the bird juicy. Finally, gravy is a must in many parts of the South;