Venison Satays

Ingredients

Satays:

450g(1lb)venison mince
Half an aubergine
8 pitted prunes or dried apricots
4 teaspoons turmeric
Salt, pepper
Flour
Butter and oil for cooking

Dipping sauce:

1 tablespoon pale miso paste
1 teaspoon Thai yellow curry paste
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons clear honey
2 tablespoons dry wine or rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons grape seed or light olive oil

Method

To make the dipping sauce, whisk together the miso, curry paste, egg yolk, soy, and honey. Then whisk in the wine vinegar and oil. Serve in little bowls with the hot satays.

To make the satays, cut the aubergine lengthways into two quarters and microwave on full power for 5 minutes or until the flesh is soft. When cool enough to handle, skin and dice. Chop the prunes. Put aubergine and prunes in a blender with the mince, turmeric and salt and pepper. Blend till fine, then squeeze the mixture onto satay sticks.

For tiny meatballs, form the mixture into small balls, roll them in flour, and then lightly pinch them in your fingers to give them a flat bottom so that they stand upright when you press cocktail sticks into them after cooking. If using strips, thread them onto the sticks, folding the meat so that it is tightly packed. Fry all over in hot butter and oil and serve with the dipping sauce.