Venison with crushed coriander, rhubarb, orange and fennel

Venison with crushed coriander, rhubarb, orange and fennel

Spring

This is a lovely, fresh way to enjoy a wild meat, particularly venison, which is so often served in dark, rich, savoury guises. The slices of sharp rhubarb and the orange and coriander seed together make the most reviving dressing that perfectly balances the bright, sugary crunch of fennel. The venison itself is cooked very quickly over a hot fire. You can cook it for a bit longer than I have, if you like your meat less rare, but here I’ve used the acidity of the rhubarb and the orange in the same way you use lemon in a carpaccio – it does a little bit of the cooking for you. 

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

  • 1 firm fennel bulb
  • 2 small rhubarb sticks
  • 2 oranges
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon runny honey
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for rubbing
  • 300–400g (10–14oz) venison loin, trimmed
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Trim the very base from the fennel bulb and peel away any damaged outer leaves, but only if you can’t use them. Halve the bulb from top to bottom then set it, cut-side down, on a board. Using your sharpest knife, cut very thin slices across the bulb. Repeat with the second half.

Place the thinly sliced fennel in a bowl. Trim the rhubarb and rinse it if you need to. If the stems are really thick, cut them in half from top to bottom; if not, just slice the rhubarb into 1–2cm (½–¾in) pieces. Mix these with the fennel.

Carefully cut the base and top off each orange and remove the skin and pith using a sharp knife. Segment the oranges, cutting between each membrane. Let them drop into the bowl with the fennel and rhubarb. Squeeze in the juice from the leftover orange membranes, too.

Sprinkle over half the coriander seeds, trickle in the honey and extra-virgin olive oil, then season everything lightly with a little salt and pepper. Tumble the fruit and veg together and set aside until you need it.

Light a nice hot fire and when the flames have burned back and you have some good, hot embers you’ll be ready to cook. Rub the venison with a little extra-virgin olive oil, then season it with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the remaining crushed coriander seeds. Lay the venison loin down on the grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side – you need a high heat for this. Take the loin off when the internal temperature reaches 40–45°C (104–113°F) in the middle. Rest the meat for 10 minutes.

To serve, slice the venison thickly across the grain and arrange it over a large plate. Spoon the salad and all the sweet, sharp juices around the meat. Sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt and crack over some pepper before eating.

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