Venison carpaccio with orange & horseradish

Give your butcher a bit of notice and I'm sure he'll have no problem getting hold of a little venison for you. It isn't that expensive and it's really tasty.

Nutritional Information (amount per serving)

Calories
206kcal

Carbs
2.4g

Sugar
1.8g

Fat
8.8g

Saturates
3.9g

Protein
29.0g

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

12 whole shallots, unpeeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 kg boned venison loin
2 tablespoons grated fresh horseradish
200 ml half-fat crème fraîche
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 orange, finely grated zest

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Toss the shallots in the olive oil, season, and place them in a shallow baking dish with the thyme sprig. Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile, preheat a heavy griddle pan that's large enough to hold the venison comfortably. If your griddle pan is too small, cut the venison into 2 pieces and grill it in 2 batches. Remove all the fat and any sinew from the venison, season well, and brush with olive oil. Place on the hot griddle and sear and brown all over – about 2–3 minutes. Take out of the pan and place on a plate to cool for about 30 minutes.

Mix the horseradish into the crème fraîche. Season it well with salt, pepper and the vinegar.

Thinly slice the venison with a sharp carving knife and lay 3 slices on each plate. Peel some of the warm shallots, tear them in half and lay a piece on top of each piece of venison. Dollop a little horseradish crème fraîche on top and sprinkle the plates with the rosemary and orange zest before serving.