venison burgers with sloe and onion relish
Tristan Welch, Head Chef at Parker’s Tavern in Cambridge, has a big love affair with East Anglian produce. He trained with Gary Rhodes and was Head Chef at Petrus under Gordan Ramsay, and now back in his home city of Cambridge, Tristan brings his creative flair and unique style to both the kitchen – as well as on social media.
- 3 medium onions
- 1 red chilli (optional)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 dash cider vinegar
- 2-3 generous glugs of sloe gin
- Rapeseed oil
- salt
- pepper
- 600 grams freshly minced venison
- ½ teaspoons fresh or dried sage
- 6 bap buns
- mature cheddar
To make the relish, peel and finely slice the onions. Fry them in a hot pan with a little of the rapeseed oil. Season the onion with salt and pepper, add the finely sliced chillies if you would like to use them. Lower the heat and continue to cook the onions and keeping them moving until caramelised.
When this is done, add the sloe gin, honey, and cider vinegar. Cook for a couple of minutes longer until you have reached a chutney consistency.This relish will keep in the fridge for a few weeks in an airtight container.
For the venison burgers, take the minced venison, add a little sage, and mix; the trick is not to mix too much, just gently pat the venison into a burger shape.
Season the burgers with salt just before you cook them – do not add any salt to the mixture beforehand as this will make the meat tough.
Griddle the burgers quickly until marked – they are best served medium rare – and stuff them into a bap with a couple of slices of
mature cheddar. Add the relish and you are good to go. Serve with chips and add an onion ring if you are feeling decadent.