Food & Drink
Open up a world of flavour by using game, says Tom Kitchin, whose new book aims to push home cooks out of their comfort zone
Tom Kitchin offers help to cook game, plus Rose Murray Brown on the lovely wines of Basilicata, Italy
Many people are genuinely interested in cooking and learning more about game, but understandably, many home cooks feel a bit out of their comfort zone when it comes to the preparation.
I felt inspired to create this book for many reasons, but, in particular, I am passionate about showcasing how incredibly rewarding the process of cooking game and meat really is. At my restaurant, The Kitchin in Edinburgh, I love receiving meat and game in fur and feathers and relish the entire process from plucking to butchering the produce to make the most of every part, and creating a dish from start to finish. I want this book to push home cooks out of their comfort zones, to try and experiment with produce and recipes they haven’t used before or aren’t familiar with, because that’s when cooking gets really exciting. n
Blackened chicken tacos with avocado and pea guacamole
This is a Kitchin family movie supper classic – something fun to eat while we all settle down in front of the screen. I spent some time in Barbados a few years ago and I fell in love with the chicken and blackened spice combo. The avocado with peas is something I picked up in a New York Mexican restaurant later, but it works incredibly well with the chicken.
Makes 12
4 free-range chicken breast fillets, each cut into 5 strips
100g Cajun spice mix
a couple of splashes of olive oil sea salt
200g frozen peas
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
3 ripe avocados
2½ small green chillies, deseeded and very finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
200g cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 Baby Gem lettuce, shredded
100g crème fraîche
12 small tacos shells
sunflower seeds
1 Place the chicken strips in a non-reactive bowl and add a good sprinkling of spice mix and a splash of olive oil – the spicier you like your food, the more spice mix you should use. Season lightly with salt, then set aside for 30 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, make the guacamole. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and set a bowl of iced water in the sink. Add the frozen peas to the boiling water and blanch for 3-5 minutes until tender. Drain them well, then tip them into the iced water to stop the cooking and set the colour.
3 Drain the peas again and transfer to a blender or food processor with about 2 tablespoons of oil, the lime zest and juice and a splash of water. Season with salt and blend to make a chunky purée. Set aside.
4 Halve the avocados, remove the stones and peel them. Put the flesh in a non-reactive bowl and use a fork to coarsely mash. Add the pea purée, two green chillies and spring onions, and season with salt. Cover the surface closely with clingfilm and chill for up to 2 hours until required.
5 To make the tomato salsa, put the tomatoes, remaining chilli and shallot in a non-reactive bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until required.
6 When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat a large well-seasoned sauté or frying pan over a mediumhigh heat, then brush the surface with oil. When it is hot, add as many chicken strips as will fit without overcrowding the pan and fry, turning once, for 4 minutes, until they are cooked through and tender. Cook in batches, adding a little extra oil, if necessary. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep hot.
7 To serve, divide the shredded lettuce among the taco shells. Top each with a couple of spoonfuls of guacamole, followed by chicken. Add the tomato salsa and a dollop of crème fraîche to each, then sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.
Open partridge and pancetta toasties with onion compôte
Who doesn’t love a toastie? This is my way to take the toastie experience to a whole new level. The onion compote is ready to use as soon as it is made, or it can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Serves four
4 partridge breasts, skinned
a couple of splashes of olive oil
50g butter (and extra for buttering the toast)
4 sourdough bread slices
2 hard-boiled free-range eggs, sliced
8 pancetta rashers, cooked until crispy
watercress sprigs
4 slices cheddar cheese – I like Isle of
Mull for this, but any strong cheddar would do
2 white onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tsp thyme leaves
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 Heat a sauté or frying pan with a lid over a medium-high heat, then add the 50g of butter with a splash of oil. When the butter is foaming, add the onions, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
2 Cover with a wet piece of greaseproof paper, cover the pan with the lid, turn the heat to very low and leave the onions to sweat for 20-25 minutes until they are very tender. Transfer to a plate to cool.
3 When you’re ready to cook, preheat the grill to high.
4 Meanwhile, place a partridge breast in between 2 sheets of clingfilm and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to lightly bash until flattened. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Pat the breasts dry and season them all with salt and pepper.
5 Heat a sauté or frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add a splash of oil. When it’s hot, add the breasts and sear them for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through, then set aside to rest for 5 minutes covered with kitchen foil. Fry the breasts in batches, if necessary.
6 Toast the sourdough slices on both sides under the grill, then lightly butter each. Do not turn off the grill.
7 Spread the toast with the onion compote and add the egg slices. Top with the partridge breasts, pancetta, watercress and finally the cheese. Place the toasties under the grill until the cheese melts, then lightly season with salt and cracked pepper.
Venison sausage stew
This recipe is a bit of a family favourite. To my mind, it is a perfect mid-week supper, so when you have a bit of spare time make and freeze a batch, ready for a rainy day. I often serve this with a bowl of tagliatelle.
Serves four
8 venison sausages
50g smoked lardons
200g celeriac, peeled and chopped
100g leeks, trimmed, chopped and rinsed
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
30g plain flour
250ml full-bodied red wine
5 juniper berries, crushed
250ml game or beef stock
1 bouquet garni
2 green apples
200g cooked chestnuts, halved
hot tagliatelle to serve (optional)
a few splashes of olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
1 Heat a flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat, then add a good splash of oil. When it is hot, add the sausages and stir for 3 minutes, or until they are well coloured all over, then remove from the casserole and set aside.
2 Add a splash more oil to the casserole, if necessary, then add the lardons and sauté until they have rendered their fat and are well coloured. Add the celeriac, leeks, carrots, celery, onion and tomato purée, and continue sautéing for a further 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw flavour.
3 Add the wine and juniper berries, stirring to deglaze the pan, and boil until the wine reduces by half. Add the stock and bouquet garni, then return the sausages and any accumulated cooking juices to the casserole. Cover the casserole and leave to simmer over a medium heat for 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender and the flavours blended.
4 Meanwhile, halve, core and chop the green apples.
5 Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, then stir in the chestnuts and apples and warm through. Serve with fresh tagliatelle flavoured with freshly cracked black pepper.