Sunday May 3, 2026
2 minutes to read
John Jugum
Chef
Ingredients
- 8 venison loin medallions, trimmed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 100 ml red wine
- 150 ml beef stock
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 2 carrots
- 1 broccoli
- 1/2 cauliflower
- Salt & pepper
- 100 g green beans
Suggestion: Steam the vegetables.
Method
- Drizzle medallions with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy pan over medium-high. Sear venison medallions 2–3 minutes each side for medium-rare (internal temp 55–57°C).
- Then add butter, garlic, and thyme and baste the meat. Rest on a warm plate for 5–6 minutes before slicing and serving.
- This meal will go nicely with some steamed vegetables, polenta, potato and wine.
- If you need to make a quick sauce you can simply use pan juice from venison medallions and add 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 sprig of thyme and deglaze it with a splash of red wine.
- Let wine reduce by about 2/3, and add about 150ml of beef stock.
- Bring to a simmer and reduce again until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- Season it with some cracked pepper and salt, turn heat off and remove thyme.
- Swirl in cold butter to emulsify and give shine.
Born in the bustling city of Auckland, New Zealand, John was raised amidst the vibrant flavours and aromas of Croatian cuisine. His father, a master of the kitchen, delighted in cooking for his family of six…
If you would like to learn more about John, see Expert: John Jugum.
