Cooking indoors: Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Remove all packaging and string from the meat and pop into a roasting tin. Rub with 1 tbsp olive oil and some salt and pepper. Let the joint sit for 30 mins to come to room temperature.

Slide into the hot oven and roast for 40 mins for medium-rare, or add 10-15 mins for a more well done haunch. Pop on a plate to rest for 30 mins.

While the venison rests, halve and stone the plums and slice the flesh into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the red onion. Pick the leaves from the thyme sprigs.

Pour 1 tbsp of oil into a pan and bring to a medium heat. Slide in the onion and thyme leaves along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 2 mins, till softened, then add the plums and stir in 1 tbsp each of the sugar and mustard, and 2 tbsp of cold water. Cover and reduce to a low heat and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, till the plums have started to dissolve into a sauce.

Slice the rested venison thinly. Serve with generous spoonfuls of the plum sauce.

Cooking Outdoors: Light your barbecue and let it cool to a medium heat. Unwrap the meat and unroll it to flatten out. Rub with 1 tbsp olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Place the joint on the hottest part of the barbecue and cook for 2-5 mins each side, till well coloured. Move to the coolest part and cover. Barbecue for 30-35 mins, then pop on a board. Rest for 20 mins.

Meanwhile, halve and stone the plums and slice the flesh into small pieces. Peel and finely chop the red onion. Pick the leaves from the thyme sprigs. Take a large square of kitchen foil and add the plums, red onion, sugar, mustard, thyme, 1 tbsp oil, 2 tbsp of cold water and a pinch of seasoning. Toss together and fold the foil into a loose parcel. While the meat rests, pop the parcel onto the coolest part of the grill. Cook for 15 mins, till the plums break down into a sauce.

Slice the venison thinly and serve with generous spoonfuls of the plum sauce.

Know your grill: When lighting your barbecue, lay the bulk of your coals to one side, gently sloping 3/4 of the way to the other side. This helps to regulate the heat, giving you fierce 'direct' heat to brown your meat over, and gently 'indirect' heat to slowly finish it off.

Next week in the Summer Roast Box: Barbecued Jerk Chicken. A true summertime classic; spatchcock chicken is rubbed with a spicy jerk seasoning and then grilled until smoky and succulent.

Something on the side? A classic barbecued chicken deserves a classic accompaniment. Sweetcorn is finally back in season, so pop a few cobs straight onto the grill before dressing with lime juice, coriander, chopped chilli and feta.