Venison Carpaccio with Walnut Ketchup
A popular dish at our Cotswolds pubs The Fox and The Bell at Charlbury. Recipe kindly shared by Executive Head Chef Alan Gleeson.
We are proud to have the first and largest red deer herd certified organic by the Soil Association. Read our blog to discover why venison is an underrated, superb tasting, healthy choice for meat eaters.
(SERVES 4)
300g fully trimmed venison haunch (allow for 60-80g per person)
FOR THE PICKLED WALNUT KETCHUP
1 jar pickled walnuts (such as the Opies brand), 390g
1 shallot, sliced
1 clove garlic clove, peeled and sliced
1 tsp English mustard
100g light brown sugar
20ml soy sauce
1/2 tsp thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
TO SERVE
Sea salt
Léoube olive oil
Fresh watercress
Parmesan shavings
Prepare the venison the day before. Break down the haunch into separate muscles and remove any sinew and silverskin (or ask your butcher to do this for you). Wrap the venison in greaseproof paper and put it in the freezer overnight.
The next day, an hour before you want to serve, remove the venison from the freezer and place into the refrigerator.
To make the pickled walnut ketchup, place all the ingredients into a small saucepan, including the juice from the pickled walnut jar, and cook until reduced to half its original volume. Carefully transfer to a blender, blend until smooth then pass through a fine sieve or conical chinois. Store in a clean jar or squeezy bottle.
When the venison has been in the fridge for an hour, remove greaseproof paper and slice the semi-frozen meat as thinly as possible. Lay directly onto serving plates and leave to defrost fully at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
Season generously with sea salt, Léoube olive oil and cracked black pepper. Top with blobs of the pickled walnut ketchup, fresh watercress, and Parmesan shavings.