All in the Game

CHARLES MACLEAN AND A PANEL OF TASTERS GET THEIR TEETH INTO SOME SMOKED VENISON

Venison – the dark, gamey flesh of the Red Deer – tended to be reserved for the gentry in days gone by. Deer forests were the provinces of kings; great hunts were organised by chiefs and nobles – such as that attended by the English traveller John Taylor in 1618, laid on by the Earl of Mar (accompanied by the Earls of Murray, Enzie, Buchan, etc.) and involving several hundreds of clansmen, who drove the deer onto the swords and spears of the hunters. At the al fresco picnic which followed a day's hunting near Braemar, Taylor happily reported that he was plied with: “Great variety and cheer; as Venison bak't, sodden, rost, and stu'de Beefe, Mutton, Boates, Kid, Hares, fresh salmon, pidgeons, Hens, capons, chickins, Partridge, Moorecoots, Heathcocks, Caperkellies and Termagants: good Ale, Sack, White and Claret, Tent (or Allegant) and with most potente Aquavitae”.

In spite of this lordly association, the wild deer on the hill, like the wild salmon in the river, was considered by the Highlander to be fera naturae, owned by nobody and therefore available to any who could catch them. And that flesh which was not eaten immediately was cured in the roof of the peat-smoke filled black houses to provide provender during the long and hungry winter.

Notwithstanding this long tradition, smoked venison was rarely seen at the tables of Scottish gourmets in until recent years – although it was particularly favoured by Norwegian, Swedish, German and Polish connoisseurs.

Now, h...

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• By : Charles MacLean
• In : Food
• Issue : 2
• Page : 84
• Words : 2,021