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Venison Racks with Saffron & Roasted Pepper Couscous

Use wild venison to create this delicious dish, which pairs the flavours of rich game meat with aromatic saffron and sweet peppers. It's much easier to cook venison than you think - treat these racks like beef and cook them for a short time over direct heat for tender meat. It's one of our favourite venison recipes!

15min, plus resting time prep, 25 minutes cook

Serves 3

Ingredients

2 racks of venison, each with 3 or 4 ribs

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

2 tbsps rapeseed oil

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

200g couscous

Large pinch saffron

1 chicken stock cube

280g jar Waitrose Chargrilled Peppers in Olive Oil, drained and cut into thin strips, or similar

25g pack fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

Place the venison in a large dish, add the rosemary, olive oil and lemon zest and juice and rub in well. Leave to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Marinating will make these tender cuts even more succulent and flavourful.

Meanwhile, place the couscous, saffron and stock cube in a heatproof bowl and add 350ml boiling water. Stir well and set aside for 5 minutes until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender.

Remove the venison racks from the marinade then barbecue them over hot coals or under a preheated grill for 10–12 minutes on each side until the deer meat is crusty and well browned but still pink in the centre. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before carving into cutlets.

Stir the peppers and parsley into the couscous. Serve with the wild venison racks.