Taste of the wild
Game is full of flavour and easier to cook than you might think, writes chef Tom Kitchin
Ifell in love with game as a young chef working with Pierre Koffmann at La Tante Claire in London. I still remember witnessing the first grouse of the season arriving at the door – there was something almost magical about it. To then have the opportunity to continue to cook with all of the different types of game that arrived throughout the season was incredibly inspiring. The game season in any restaurant is challenging, but so rewarding, and you can learn so much if you really respect the produce and marry it with other seasonal flavours.
Many people don’t realise that cooking game and most kinds of meat is actually often much easier than it might seem, particularly when it comes to game. It’s a myth that game is a posh food, enjoyed only by the rich who go shooting. I’m not from a privileged background; I didn’t grow up going on game shoots but my passion for game came from my years of training in some of the world’s top kitchens.
There’s no doubt the game season presents some of the most interesting times in my kitchen year, but also the most satisfying and exciting. To be nominated as one of the finalists for Best Chef in the Eat Game Awards is a real honour. n
Kitchin is the chef proprietor of The Kitchin, 78 Commercial Quay, Edinburgh (0131-555 1755, www. thekitchin.com)
Voting in the Eat Game Awards is open until 10 January 2020. Vote for your favourite via www. eatgameawards.co.uk/voting
Sautéed rabbit kidneys and livers with cavolo nero
The Italians and the French absolutely love rabbit offal for its sweet taste. They love it so much you can buy the offal separately in the markets and supermarkets in those countries. The sweetness of the offal works perfectly with shallots and pumpkin and the cavolo nero leaves.
Serves two
300g mixed rabbit livers and kidneys
3 tbsp olive oil
45g butter
250g pumpkin, peeled and diced 2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 tsp brandy
50ml whipping cream
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley leaves 1 tbsp chopped sage
8 cavolo nero leaves, trimmed, blanched and kept hot, to serve sea salt cracked black pepper
1 Prepare kidneys and livers by removing any sinew and cutting livers in half, then pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
2 Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add kidneys, livers and 30g of butter. When the butter is foaming, spoon it over the kidneys and livers and fry for 1-2 minutes until lightly coloured, but still pink inside. Remove from the pan and keep hot.
3 Wipe out the pan and return to the heat. Melt the remaining butter and oil. When hot, add the pumpkin and sauté for 4-5 minutes until it’s beginning to soften. Add the shallots and continue sautéing until softened, but not coloured.
4 Add brandy, stirring to deglaze pan, and boil until it evaporates. Stir in cream and continue boiling until it reduces and thickens. Stir in mustard, then return kidneys and livers to pan. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then stir in the herbs. Serve with cavolo nero.
Herb-crusted venison livers with shallot reduction on toast
Liver and offal are what I call Marmite ingredients; you either love or hate them. But like with many things, I believe people don’t like these because of bad childhood memories. I remember being served boiled liver at school and I didn’t particularly like it.
Serves four
4 venison livers, 80g each, trimmed olive oil
4 sourdough slices
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley and tarragon sea salt cracked black pepper
20g butter olive oil
10 shallots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp cracked black pepper 150ml dry white wine
100ml dry sherry
100ml game or beef stock
1 For the shallot reduction, heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, then melt the butter with a splash of oil.
2 When foaming, add the shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and pepper, continue sautéing until tender. Add half of the wine and sherry, stirring to deglaze pan. Boil until they evaporate.
3 Add the remaining wine and sherry and continue boiling until reduced by half again. Now add the stock and leave the shallots to continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid’s evaporated. Set aside and leave to cool completely, cover and chill until required (up to 3 days before needed).
4 Pat the livers dry and season. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, add enough oil to cover the base of the pan. When hot, add the livers and fry for 1½ minutes on each side to colour. Remove from pan and set aside.
5 Toast the bread.
6 Add the shallot reduction to the pan you just cooked the livers in, stirring to deglaze. Stir in wholegrain mustard and adjust seasoning.
7 Spread shallot reduction on toast. Brush livers with Dijon mustard and sprinkle herbs on top of each. Place livers on toast and serve.
Grouse liver parfait
At The Kitchin we have a ‘no-waste’ policy that means we try to use every part of the animal, which is how this dish came about. The recipe can be easily changed to use pheasant or partridge livers, but always include chicken livers, too, otherwise the parfait might get a bit too strong and gamey. This needs to be made at least a day before you plan to serve to allow for overnight chilling.
Serves six to eight
olive oil
100g shallots, finely chopped 100ml Port
50ml Madeira
60g butter
60g duck fat
125g grouse livers, trimmed 100g chicken livers, trimmed
6 free range egg yolks
225ml double cream
50ml brandy
60g butter melted blueberries and thyme leaves sea salt cracked black pepper
1 Preheat oven to 110C/gas Mark ¼. 2 Heat a frying pan over a mediumhigh heat, adding a splash of oil. When hot, add the shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened, but not coloured.
3 Add the Port and Madeira, stirring to deglaze pan, and boil until a syrupy consistency forms. Transfer to a food processor.
4 Now melt the butter and duck fat in the same pan, add to the shallot reduction with grouse livers, chicken livers, egg yolks and cream. Season with salt and pepper, add brandy and blend. Sieve to ensure the parfait mix has a smooth consistency.
5 Transfer the mixture to 2 or 3 small preserving jars and seal. Place the jars in a roasting tray and pour boiling water to halfway up the sides, and put them into the oven for 1 hour.
6 Remove the parfaits from water bath and leave to cool completely, placing in the fridge overnight. The following day, scrape off any brown skin that might have formed.
7 To clarify the butter, put it into a heavy bottomed saucepan and melt over a low heat. Skim the white froth from the surface and you’ll be left with a layer of clear yellow liquid and a milky one underneath. Carefully pour the clear yellow liquid into a vessel and discard the milky one.
8 Pour this over the top of the parfaits, add a few melted blueberries and thyme leaves and leave to cool, then re-seal and chill until required.