Sweet and smoky Bacon Onion Bourbon Jam combines with venison backstrap in the perfect dish for your holiday party.

Venison Wellington with Bacon Onion Bourbon Jam

120 Min

Prep Time

30 Min

Cook Time

5-7

Servings

Medium

Difficulty

Beef Wellington is a classic dish of beef tenderloin, coated with mushroom duxelles (don't worry, it's just a fancy name for button mushrooms that have been finely diced in a food processor and cooked in butter with shallots, garlic, and thyme) and occasionally a liver pate, then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. It makes for a stunning presentation at a holiday party and is as delicious as it is beautiful. Try it at your next get together.

The sweet and smoky jam pairs perfectly with the sharp roasted venison.

Try this one at your next get together. I bet even your non-game eating guests are going to love it.

Ingredients

Bacon Onion Bourbon Jam

5 large sweet yellow onions, sliced

1 pound good bacon, diced

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Evan Williams Bourbon

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Mushroom Duxelles

1 pound button mushrooms, finely chopped in a food processor

½ stick of butter

2 tablespoons finely diced shallot

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped

2-3 pound section of venison backstrap, trimmed

1 package frozen puff pasty, thawed

Salt, pepper, and Cavender's Greek Seasoning to taste

Cooking Instructions

To make the Bacon Onion Bourbon Jam, start by rendering the bacon down in a heavy pot. Cook the diced bacon slowly, until crisp. Don't worry about the bits sticking to the pan, they will come up later and add flavor to the jam.

The bacon onion bourbon jam is good on just about everything. Keep a jar in the fridge.

For the Mushroom Duxelles, add the button mushrooms to the food processor and pulse them till finely chopped. Add the shallots and garlic and thyme, then pulse a few more times till they are mixed well. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the mushroom mixture. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until all moisture is gone and the mushroom mixture is soft. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool.

Wrap the backstrap in the puff pastry then brush it with egg wash before baking.

To assemble the Wellington, unfold the puff pastry onto a floured surface. Add a layer of mushroom duxelles and bacon jam to the center of the pastry. Lay the backstrap down the center of the pastry. Top the venison with more of the mushroom mixture and bacon jam. Carefully roll the pastry completely around the backstrap. Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg.

Bake the Wellington at 350 degrees until the center of the meat reads 135 for medium rare, usually around 30-35 minutes.