Venison Carpaccio

Paul Ainsworth’s elegant venison recipe transforms venison loin into a stunning carpaccio with wonderful parsnip puree and crisps to give the dish a lovely, hearty feel.

Serves 6 as a starter

Ingredients

For the venison

400g of venison loin

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 sprig rosemary

2 garlic cloves, grated

Olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper to season

For the parsnip puree and crisps

1 parsnip

Dash of milk

1 knob of butter

Vegetable oil

To plate

18 baby beetroots, cooked and cut in half

1 handful of mixed leaves

1 tbsp of sherry vinegar

5 tbsp of olive oil

1 handful of baby pickled onions, peeled into half shells

1 handful parmesan, grated

Method

Marinade the venison loin overnight with the thyme, garlic, rosemary and a little olive oil. The next day rub off the aromats, season well and sear quickly on a very high heat on all sides. You want a caramelised outer crust whilst leaving the muscle rare/raw to the centre. Cool, then roll tightly in cling film and put in the fridge to firm up.

Peel the parsnip and cut in half reserving one half for the next step. Cut some thin slices and deep fry in 180C oil until the oil stops bubbling and the vegetable is crispy and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and season.

Thinly slice the rest of the parsnip and sweat in butter. When almost cooked, add a little milk and cook until soft. Blitz in a food processor or with a handheld blender; keep warm until needed.

Dress the beetroots and onions with a little olive oil and seasoning. Make the sherry vinaigrette by mixing olive oil and sherry vinegar together in a jar or small bowl.

Thinly slice the venison and arrange on the plates. Scatter some beetroots and onion shells across the plate. Spoon a little of the warm puree around, followed by the leaves, parmesan and the parsnip crisps. Drizzle some vinaigrette to finish.