Venison fillet in grand veneur sauce, poached pears in wine and cranberries
In Belgium, game from the Ardennes is part of festive meals. Venison fillet is the noblest and simplest cut: you sear it quickly, finish it in the oven and serve it pink. With a grand veneur sauce, pears poached in wine and a spoonful of cranberries, it's the Belgian-style Christmas plate.
- 6 people, 1 kg of fillet
- Seared on the hob, finished in the oven at 180 °C
- Served pink: 54 °C at the core
- Sauce and pears prepared the day before
Appliance and settingInduction hob, then oven at 180 °C
Ingredients
Ardennes game, made easy
Venison fillet is very lean, and that is the whole rule for cooking it: quickly and not for too long. Sear it hard for the crust, then the oven finishes gently. The grand veneur sauce, meanwhile, takes time, but it can be made the day before, like the pears. On Christmas Eve, only fifteen minutes of cooking are left.
The steps
- The day before, poach the pears. Peel them, leaving the stalk on. In a saucepan, bring the wine, sugar, cinnamon and star anise to the boil on level 8. Add the pears, reduce to level 3 and simmer for 25 minutes, turning them over. Leave them to cool in the wine: they take on a lovely ruby colour.
- The day before, start the sauce. Brown the trimmings, cut into pieces, in a little oil on level 8. Add the carrot, onion and shallot, diced, and let them colour for 5 minutes. Pour in the red wine, add the crushed juniper, thyme and bay leaf, then reduce by half on level 7.
- Add liquid and reduce. Add the stock and simmer for 40 minutes on level 3. Strain, pressing well. You should have about 30 cl of syrupy sauce. Keep it in the fridge.
- On the day, prepare the meat. Take the fillet out of the fridge 30 minutes before. Preheat the oven to 180 °C fan. Pat the meat dry, then season with salt and pepper.
- Sear. In a frying pan, heat the oil and butter on level 8. Sear the fillet for 1 minute on each side, until well browned. Baste with foaming butter.
- Finish in the oven. Place it in an ovenproof dish, insert the probe into the centre, set it to 54 °C, and put it in the oven on level 2. Allow 8 to 12 minutes depending on thickness.
- Rest. Cover the fillet with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the sauce into the frying pan, scrape up the sediment, add the redcurrant jelly and the cream, and let it bubble for 2 minutes on level 6. Reheat the pears in their wine on level 3.
- Assemble. Slice the fillet into thick medallions. Serve with the sauce, half a pear filled with a spoonful of lingonberries, and croquettes.
Appliance settings
| Step | Appliance and mode | Setting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pears poached in wine | Induction hob | Level 8, then 3 | 25 min |
| Sauce: wine reduction | Induction hob | Level 7 | about 15 min |
| Sauce: simmering | Induction hob | Level 3 | 40 min |
| Searing the fillet | Induction hob, frying pan | Level 8 (no booster) | 1 min per side |
| Finishing the cooking | Oven, fan-assisted | 180 °C, shelf level 2 | 8 to 12 min |
| Check | Cooking probe | 54 °C pink, 58 °C medium | Until the alarm |
Avoid the booster for searing in butter: it burns. Level 8 is enough, with a well-preheated pan.
Variations
- Herb crust : roll the seared fillet in mustard, then in a mixture of breadcrumbs, parsley and crushed hazelnuts before putting it in the oven.
- Simpler sauce : a shop-bought brown stock reduced with the wine, juniper and redcurrant jelly, in 20 minutes.
- Winter side dish : red cabbage with apples, celeriac purée or braised Belgian endive.
- Young wild boar : a wild boar fillet takes longer to cook, up to 63 °C at the centre.
Storage and advance preparation
Pears keep 3 days in the fridge in their wine, and the sauce 3 days too, or 3 months in the freezer. Prepare them the day before Christmas Eve. Leftover fillet is best eaten cold, in thin slices, with a little cranberry jam. Avoid reheating it: it would overcook.
Ask your butcher or game dealer for a fillet trimmed, that is, with its fine silverskin removed, and keep the trimmings for the sauce. And never pierce the meat with a fork to turn it: use tongs, to keep all the juices inside.
Which appliance?
For game, two appliances matter: a hob that sears well and a precise oven that finishes the cooking gently.
A pyrolytic oven
Wine sauces and spitting butter leave marks. Pyrolytic cleaning (the oven heats to around 500 °C and reduces splashes to ash) solves that. Examples in store: Bosch HBA274BB3F, Samsung NV7B4550VAK, Whirlpool WOI4S8PM0SBAF, Beko BBIM12300XMPEF.
From 559,99 € to 949,99 €
An induction hob
It heats up quickly and stays stable when the meat goes into the pan. Example: Bosch PIJ611BB5E, three zones including one large 28 cm zone.
599,99 €
An induction and pyrolytic range cooker
Without a fitted kitchen, a range cooker combines hob and oven. The Smeg C6IPXT2 pairs an induction hob with a 70-litre pyrolytic oven.
1 499,99 €
Recommended retail prices checked on 15 October 2026: the product page is the reference, and Nimesclub members often get a reduced price. Before switching to induction, have your electrical installation checked by an electrician.
Ovens and hobs for game in store
Built-in Oven BOSCH HBA274BB3F€809.00
Built-in Oven SAMSUNG NV7B4550VAK€949.00
Built-in oven WHIRLPOOL WOI4S8PM0SBAF€829.00
Built-in oven BEKO BBIM12300XMPEF€559.00
Hob BOSCH PIJ611BB5E€599.00
Cooker SMEG C6IPXT2€1,499.00The classic accompaniment for game: potato croquettes homemade. Cranberries also go very well with duck breast.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should venison fillet be served at?
Pink, at 54 °C at the centre when it leaves the oven: the temperature rises another 2 or 3 degrees during resting. Above 60 °C, venison, which is very lean, quickly becomes dry.
Should venison be marinated?
Not for the fillet: it is a tender cut with a delicate flavour. A wine marinade is useful for braising cuts, such as shoulder or civet. Here, the wine and juniper go in the sauce.
What can I use instead of venison?
A doe or deer fillet is cooked the same way. For a lower budget, duck fillet or pork tenderloin work with the same sauce, adjusting the core temperature.
The right oven makes all the difference
Steam ovens, pyrolytic ovens, induction hobs: come and see them at our Temploux store, or ask our expert salesperson for advice.
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