PAN-ROASTED VENISON

Steps:

• To make the bread pudding, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• Put the bread cubes on a large baking sheet, toss with the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning once, until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Melt the butter in a large deep sauté pan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water, 1 cup of the wine, both vinegars, the sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and the currants and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is very tender, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer the cabbage with tongs to a bowl and let cool completely. Reserve the braising liquid.
• Combine the braising liquid and the remaining 1 cup wine in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a sauce consistency (see page 250), about 10 minutes. Stir in the honey and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
• Put the cream, ginger, and pinch of cloves in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and slowly whisk in the warm cream. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bread cubes and cabbage to the custard mixture and stir to combine. Press on the bread to submerge it in the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the bread pudding is set around the sides but still slightly loose in the center, about 25 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a baking sheet on the center rack of the oven.
• To cook the venison, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Season both sides of 4 of the venison steaks with salt and pepper. Add the steaks to the pan and cook until golden brown and a crust has formed, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the steaks to a plate and repeat with the remaining 4 steaks and oil.
• Transfer the steaks to the heated baking sheet and roast in the oven until medium-rare, about 4 minutes. The meat will be red in the center. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
• Spoon some of the Concord grape sauce onto large plates and top with the sliced venison. Serve the bread pudding, drizzled with the reserved wine braising liquid, next to the venison. Garnish with parsley leaves and Concord grapes.
• CONCORD GRAPE SAUCE
• Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the grape juice, shallot, garlic, peppercorns, and thyme in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced by half to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
• Pour the reduced chicken stock into the reduced grape juice mixture and continue cooking over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a sauce consistency (see page 250), about 15 minutes. Strain the sauce into a bowl. The sauce can be made 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.