Raw Venison, Chimichurri, Brassicas, Coal Dressing Recipe - Great British Chefs

Step 1

Start by making the coal oil ahead of time, which requires a lot of care – ideally wear heatproof gloves and do this step outside. Put the oil in a deep pan, then carefully lower a hot piece of charcoal into the oil, taking care as the oil will spit. Leave the oil to infuse for 20-30 minutes, then strain and keep in a bottle. This makes more than you need for the recipe, but coal oil adds a lovely smoky flavour to all sorts of dishes and keeps indefinitely

Step 2

To make the chimichurri oil, blend all the ingredients in a high powered blender. Blend on full power until the mixture heats up to around 64ºC, then hang in a muslin cloth set over a bowl overnight. Once strained, discard the solids and reserve the chimichurri oil. Again, this will make more than you need but you can use the oil in other dishes

Step 3

To make the pickle, combine the water, vinegar and sugar in a pan and warm until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool, then pour over the diced kohlrabi and cucumber and leave to pickle overnight

Step 4

The next day, make the chimichurri emulsion. Whisk the egg yolk, lemon and salt together until well emulsified. Slowly add the chimichurri oil – whisking constantly – until you reach the desired thickness (ideally something slightly thicker than Hellmann's mayonnaise). This should require about 120ml of oil. Once you're happy with the consistency, reserve in a squeezy bottle for later

Step 5

To make the coal dressing, blend the vinegar, xanthan gum, honey and Dijon mustard together until well emulsified. Slowly add the oils along with 65ml of the coal oil (with the motor still running) until you have a thick dressing. Finish with salt and more coal oil to taste

Step 6

Take the diced sourdough and fry in foaming butter until golden. Drain on a jay cloth or piece of kitchen towel and season with salt

Step 7

Cut the gem lettuce in half through the root, then season and lightly oil the cut sides. Char on a barbecue or in a hot pan, then remove the root and lightly dress the individual leaves with some of the coal dressing

Step 8

Finely dice the venison into 0.5cm cubes and season with salt. Mix with the diced shallot and chives

Step 9

To serve, place the raw venison on the bottom of each plate, then place dots of the chimichurri emulsion on top. Add the croutons and the pickled vegetables, then cover with a few gem leaves. Finish with a mixture of brassica shoots and a few more dots of the coal dressing