NEW ZEALAND FARMRAISED VENISON MEDALLIONS WITH ORANGE, SUMAC & ZHOUG

SERVES 4

Kiwi chef Graham Brown says about his flavourful recipe,

“One of the most popular cuts of venison, pre-trimmed medallions are super-lean and look impressive on the plate.

“They taste fantastic whether you’re pan-frying or grilling them on the barbecue, so they’re perfect for a mid-week supper all year round. For best results, remove the meat from the fridge and bring to room temperature before cooking.

“Zhoug is a fragrant and spicy herb sauce from Yemen,” adds Graham. “It’s a great condiment to have on hand and goes perfectly with pan-fried or barbecued venison.”

Retail packs of New Zealand farm-raised venison are readily available in all good supermarkets throughout the

country. Specialty cuts are also available online and from select butchers.

ZHOUG

Seeds from 2 cardamom pods 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 cup coriander stems and roots, chopped 1 cup watercress, blanched and roughly chopped 2-3 mild green chillies, deseeded and roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 tsp flaky sea salt 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp cold water

VENISON 1 tbsp olive oil Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange ½ cup flaky sea salt Grind of black pepper 1 tbsp sumac 1 tbsp dried oregano 400g New Zealand farm-raised venison medallions Olive oil for cooking SALAD

1 tbsp butter 2 medium-sized kumara, peeled, steamed and cut into bite-sized chunks ½ rock melon, cut into bite-sized chunks ¼ small watermelon, cut into bite-sized chunks 10 dried dates, soaked in hot water until soft, then roughly chopped 1 tbsp mint leaves, roughly chopped Coriander leaves, crumbled feta cheese and watercress, to garnish (optional)

1 For the zhoug, toast the cardamom seeds, peppercorns and cumin seeds until fragrant in a dry pan, set over medium heat. Grind to a fine powder using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

2 Put the coriander, watercress, chillies, garlic and salt in a blender. Add the spice mixture and whiz to combine. Add the olive oil and a little water, then process until the mixture is smooth and has a pouring consistency. Add more water if needed, then cover and set aside.

3 For the venison, mix together the olive oil, orange juice, zest, sea salt, pepper, sumac and oregano, then rub into the venison medallions thoroughly.

4 Heat a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan until hot, then pan-fry the medallions for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they’re medium rare. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm for 5 minutes. While the venison is resting, melt the butter in a frying pan on a high heat and quickly fry the steamed kumara until golden brown.

5 To serve, cut the medallions in half and arrange on a platter. Arrange the melon chunks, dates, kumara and mint around the meat. Drizzle over the zhoug and garnish with coriander, crumbled feta and watercress.