It's no secret that I adore steak tartare, which few dishes can match for the speed and simplicity of preparation and serving.
It's a dish that uses techniques which can be applied to red meats other than beef. One of them, roe deer (one of which I was pictured with in this magazine last month), is extremely lean – on account of being the smallest deer native to Scotland – and very tasty due to their being relatively fussy eaters: damp, clean grass, shoots, leaves and berries make up their diet of choice. If your butcher stocks them I suggest you buy either the loin or the haunch, both of which should be wholly trimmed of sinew.
Tartare of roe deer, shaved fennel and mustard mayonnaise
Serves 4
200g roe deer loin
2 egg yolks
1tsp white wine vinegar
200ml vegetable oil
1tbsp dijon mustard
1 head of fennel
2 small breakfast radishes
50ml olive oil
1tsp sea salt
Small fine herbs, to garnish
Firm up the roe deer by placing it in the freezer for 10 minutes then cut it into 1cm dice. Cover and refrigerate the meat for now.
For the mayonnaise, whisk the egg yolks until pale then add the vinegar. Add the vegetable oil gradually, whisking continuously until all the oil is emulsified and the sauce has thickened, then stir in the mustard, season well with table salt and set aside.
Use a mandolin or a sharp knife to slice the fennel as thinly as possible and set aside, then slice the radishes the same way.
Arrange the venison on serving plates and dress it with the fennel, mayonnaise and radishes. Drizzle the olive oil over the plates and season the meat with sea salt. Finish with some fine herbs and serve.
WINE MATCH
Chianti Colli Senesi, 2008, Vittorio Innocenti, Siena, Tuscany (L'Art Du Vin, £12.35)
Aromas of cherry, strawberry, leather and dried herbs give way to a full, complex palate of fruit and cinnamon.
The Honours, 58a North Castle Street, Edinburgh. Visit www.thehonours.co.uk or call 0131 220 2513.
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