Meatballs
Mix together all the ingredients thoroughly (either by hand or in an electric mixer using a paddle attachment). Mould into 20g meatballs (7 meatballs in a portion) and chill until ready to cook. To finish, sauté the meatballs in a non-stick pan until golden brown all over. Turn the heat down low and continue cooking until the meatballs are fully cooked in the centre. Then drain them of any excess fat and drop them into the venison sauce (see below).
For the venison red wine sauce
Pan roast the venison trimmings until well caramelised and drain any excess fat in a sieve. Pan roast the shallots until well caramelised and add them to the trimmings with the thyme, bay leaf and black pepper, and stir everything together briefly. Over a low heat add the white wine vinegar and reduce to a syrup. Add the wine and reduce to a syrup. Add the veal jus and bring to the boil, skimming away any excess fat or debris on the surface. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for one hour. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Chill until ready to serve. When serving, bring to the boil and stir in the butter to finish the sauce. Add the meatballs.
Polenta
Heat the chicken stock in a pan and keep warm. Sweat the diced onion and garlic in the olive oil in a heavy-based pan until soft. Add the butter and stir briefly to melt. Add the polenta and stir through the butter and onion to coat the grains. Turn the heat down low and add the warm stock gradually, whisking the mixture continuously. Keep cooking until the grains are softened, with little “bite” left. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the seasoned whipped cream to create a “marbled” effect, and serve with the meatballs and sauce, garnished with the parsley.
