I love venison and I love black pudding so this burger was born. As venison is so lean it needs some kind of fat added to it so I used the spiced black pudding. Juniper is a match made in heaven for venison it reminds me of a fragrant pepper. I also added extra pepper as venison takes it so well. To finish it off I added some tangy cheese and crunchy gherkins.

Ingredients ( makes 4 burgers, I froze 2 )

• 500g venison mince
• 1/2 ring black pudding, outer case removed
• 12 juniper berries, crushed
• 4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp fresh black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp oil for frying
• 6 gherkins , I used my pickled courgettes
• 25g cheddar cheese, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat Grill to high
2. In a bowl add the venison mince. Break it up with your hands or a fork. Crumb in the black pudding not too finely as it adds texture.
3. Tip in the rest of the ingredients and knead so everything is evenly distributed.
4. Tip out onto a chopping board. Flatten the mix so it is all the same thickness. Cut into quarters and make a Pattie shape with each quarter so you have 4 burgers.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan until hot. Add the burgers and fry for 4 minutes. Flip the burgers over and cook for another 3 minutes.
6. Add 3 slices of the gherkins to each burger. Top with cheese and place under the grill until the cheese has melted. I served mine with my celeriac remoulade. Enjoy 😊