**Juniper Berry-Crusted Rack of Venison with Mostarda**

Searing the venison before coating it with spices ensures that the spices retain their potency but don't burn before the venison is cooked. A sweet and sour pear and berry mostarda is the perfect condiment for this lean roast.

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Ingredients

For the Mostarda

• 1 1⁄3 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp. ground mustard
• 3 tbsp. yellow mustard seeds
• 1 1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1⁄4 cup dried cherries
• 1⁄4 cup dried currants
• 2 firm pears, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1⁄2" pieces
• 1 (2"-piece) ginger, peeled and minced
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange grated zest of 1 orange

For the Venison

• 1⁄3 cup juniper berries
• 1⁄3 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp. whole black peppercorns, plus ground to taste
• 1 tbsp. caraway seeds
• 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 rack venison (with 8 bones), bones frenched

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Instructions

Make the mostarda:

• Whisk sugar, vinegar, ground mustard, mustard seeds, cinnamon, and 2 cups

  water in a 4-qt. saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients; boil. Reduce heat to

  medium; simmer until pears are tender and liquid is thickened, about 45

  minutes. Let cool.

Make the venison:

• Heat oven to 475°. Combine juniper berries, 1⁄4 cup oil, salt, peppercorns, and

  caraway and coriander seeds in a food processor; pulse into a wet, gravel-like

  consistency and set aside. Add remaining oil and the butter to a 12" ovenproof

  skillet; heat over medium-high. Season venison with salt and pepper; cook,

  turning as needed, until browned, 8–10 minutes. Coat rack with reserved juniper

  berry mixture; roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of

  the rack reads 140°, about 30 minutes for medium-rare. Let venison rest 5

  minutes before carving;

serve with mostarda.

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This Recipe Is Published Here

bon appetit