Chef Paul Freeman, I am passionate about the country larder, and what the seasons bring. as a keen wildfowler, and pursuer of country sports. I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes with you. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ingredients

1 big bunch oregano (chopped)
150ml (5fl oz) olive oil
6 cloves garlic (peeled)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 chilli (chopped)
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp sea-salt
1 haunch muntjac (about 1.2kg)
1 small bunch parsley
Serves 2 - 4

Whizz the oregano, oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, chilli and seasoning in a food processor until you have a coarse paste. Pour it into a bowl and reserve.
Remove the shank from the haunch. This is easy if you have a sharp, thin-bladed knife. Lay the haunch on its outside and feel the joint where the shank joins the leg. You will feel some bumps – the edges of the joint. Cut between these, then rotate the knife and cut through the obvious tendon. With a bit of pressure, the knife will go straight through and remove the shank, which we will cook later.
Carefully cut out the thigh bone and start butterflying. Make a series of 1in-deep cuts, going outwards from where you have removed the thigh bone. Unroll the meat from centre to side, using the knife to open it up. You should be left with a sheet of meat about 1 1/2” thick and 1ft long. Next, pour half the marinade over the meat and leave it for an hour.
Cook it on a medium barbecue, turning every three minutes for 20 minutes, or sear it in a big pan to brown and then roast it in a 220°C (425°F/Gas Mark 7) oven for 15 minutes. Rest it for 10 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, add some chopped parsley to the marinade and spoon it over the carved meat.For this recipe you could either use muntjac or a young roe deer; the cooking times will be roughly the same. The meat is very different, however, so it is up to personal choice or availability. Personally, I would go for the muntjac, which has amazingly dense and delicious meat, over the roe, which is a bit stronger in flavour and softer in texture. But the muntjac is a terrible bugger to skin.