Venison Tartare Recipe

Venison Tartare

A regular favorite in my kitchen, Venison Tartare is a great way of keeping the highest quality meat in its purist form – if you love the almost metallic and super savory flavor of a very rare steak, then this is a must. Dressings wise I’ve gone traditional (without the raw egg) but please don’t be restricted by this, flavors of North Africa, Scandinavia and South East Asia can all create wonderfully unique results.

As a note of caution – make sure you use venison from a source that you completely trust. This is non negotiable; you need to be able to guarantee the animal has been cleanly killed and eviscerated properly. Prior to use I freeze the meat for at least 2 days – this will kill any potential parasites, I then trim the outer layer of meat from the piece I’m using before chopping. Good hygiene, a clean board and knife, and a little time will ensure there are no problems. Anything you do trim can certainly go in your stockpot!

There is always great discussion about the best species of Deer to use – I’m a huge fan of a young adult Roe, but there is the classic alternative of Beef; fillet, rump or sirloin, or even a cannon of Lamb.

Starter for 4

Ingredients

600g Venison Loin, or seam butchered and fully trimmed Haunch (my preference)

Dressing

1 x Tablespoon of Capers, Chopped

1 x Tablespoon of Cornichons, Chopped

1 x Teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1 x Hardboiled Egg, Finely Grated

1 x Tablespoon Chervil, Chopped

1 x Tablespoon Chives, Chopped

1 x Tablespoon Heinz Tomato Sauce

Dash of Worcester Sauce to Taste

Dash of Tabasco Sauce to Taste

Malden Salt

Freshly Milled Black Pepper

Small Squeeze of Lemon Juice

2 x Tablespoons of Very Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Technique

No more than 1 hour before serving cut the Venison loin in half horizontally, and then into 50mm strips. Chop these strips at 50 mm sections to create a small dice of the meat. Put it all into a bowl and pack closely with Clingfilm, retain this in the fridge until just prior to serving.

Prepare all of the dressing ingredients, and mix together in a bowl. Play about with the seasonings to match your taste – it’s a very personal thing!! Wrap and retain in the fridge.

10 minutes before serving remove the chopped Venison from the fridge to come to room temperature.

5 minutes before serving mix the dressing with the Venison, taste and adjust the seasoning again (it always takes more salt!).

This dish can look fantastic plated in a mould, with small salad leaves, fronds of various herbs, or foraged goodies like Sorrel, Watercress and flowers. However, if you’re feeling slightly more rustic, pop it into a bowl and onto the middle of the table served with fresh white toast and salted French butter. As always I’m a fan of little additions – Caraway, Cumin and Juniper all have a place depending on your mood, company and energy levels!