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1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 juniper berries

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

12 ounces ground venison, from the leg

6 ounces fatty, coarse-ground pork or fatback

2 teaspoons Garlic Purée (page 264)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Large pinch dry Greek oregano

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

½ teaspoon orange zest

About 3 ounces pork caul fat or a sausage casing

Lemon wedges and extra-virgin olive oil or Tsatziki (page 189)

¼ cup loosely packed, picked herbs, such as dill, mint, and/or parsley

Brush the onion slices with a little olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. On a hot grill pan or in a cast-iron skillet, grill the onion until tender. Separate into rings and finely chop.

Toast the seeds and juniper berries in a preheated 325°F oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to a spice mill and grind to a powder (you will not use all of it).

In a large bowl, combine the grilled onion, 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture, and the venison, pork, Garlic Purée, mustard, honey, oregano, parsley, and orange zest. Season liberally with salt and pepper. With clean hands, combine the mixture evenly, and form 9 football-shaped sausages.

Wrap each sausage in a single layer of caul fat, trimming off any extra bits and pieces. If you like, refrigerate the sausages on a rack, uncovered, for 2 hours; this will help dry the surface and give you an even better sear on the grill.

Preheat a charcoal or gas grill, or ridged cast-iron grill pan, until very hot. Brush the sausages lightly with a little olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. Grill until firm and char-marked all over. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with some lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil, or top with a spoonful of Tsatziki. Scatter with picked fresh herbs.

If you have some of the Candied Orange Peel (page 279), cut it into tiny dice and add to the venison mixture.

RACK OF VENISON WITH LEEK CONFIT & CANDIED CHERRIES

ELAFI ME SIGOVRASMENA PRASSA KAI ZAHAROMENA KERASIA

SERVES 4 TO 6 AS A PLATED ENTRÉE OR FAMILY-STYLE

Make sure the butcher cuts through or removes the chine bone, from the base of the rack, or you will have a very hard time carving the meat into individual chops for serving this hearty yet refined winter dish.

2 tablespoons blended oil (90 percent canola, 10 percent extra-virgin olive)

1¼-pound rack of venison, chined and cut in half crosswise

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

20 Candied Cherries (page 276), with a little of the syrup

4 pieces Leek Confit (2 whole leeks, page 264), with some of their oil

6 to 8 ounces dried venison sausage or loukanika, thickly sliced on a diagonal

1 sprig sage

1 sprig thyme

1½ tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

cup sherry vinegar

cup water

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In an ovenproof skillet, warm the blended oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, season the 2 pieces of venison liberally with kosher salt and pepper and sear them in the pan. Turn occasionally, leaning the pieces up against the edge of the pan to make sure all sides—including the meaty, rounded ends—get seared. Discard the excess oil and return the venison to the pan bone-side down. Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on size. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

In a small pan, warm the Candied Cherries in their syrup to room temperature, and reserve.

In a large skillet, warm a tablespoon of the Leek Confit oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage slices and the Leek Confit and sauté for 1 minute. Add sage and thyme, and warm through for another minute. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and water. Reduce liquid by half. Remove from heat, remove sage and thyme, and swirl in the cold butter until melted.

Mound the leek and sausage mixture on individual plates or a platter. Carve the racks into chops and place over the mixture, with the bones uppermost, and drizzle with the pan juices. Spoon a few cherries on the side and finish with a drizzle of cherry syrup and Leek Confit