Venison Lollipops with Pistachio Crumb and Basil Tomato Dipping Sauce

SERVES 12 AS A STARTER PREP 15 MINS COOKING 10 MINS

12-rib venison rack, cut into cutlets

2 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup (80 ml) golden syrup

2 tbsp Vegemite or Marmite

juice of half a lemon, plus extra wedges to serve

70 g pistachios, finely chopped

2 tsp crushed pink peppercorns

BASIL TOMATO DIPPING SAUCE

1/3 cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 bunch basil, leaves picked

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

250 g tomatoes, finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped

Drizzle cutlets with oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a chargrill or barbecue over high heat. Add cutlets and cook, turning halfway, for 5–6 minutes or until medium-rare or cooked to your liking. Remove and stand on a plate to rest for 5 minutes. For the basil tomato dipping sauce, heat oil in a frypan over medium heat.

Add the garlic and cook for 4 minutes or until golden and beginning to crisp. Carefully add the basil leaves (it can spit) and cook until leaves are crisp and almost translucent. Add vinegar, tomatoes and onion to oil and season to taste. Set aside to cool slightly. Combine the golden syrup, Vegemite and lemon juice in a bowl. Combine pistachios and pink peppercorns in another bowl. Dip cutlets in Vegemite mixture then crumb in pistachio and pink peppercorn mixture. Arrange on a serving platter with basil tomato sauce alongside for dipping. Serve.

Samantha Parish is latitude’s newest contributor and brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience, with over eight years of working as a freelance chef and recipe writer in Australia and New Zealand. Sam’s food ethos is MOF MOF: Maximum of Flavour, Minimum of Fuss, producing beautiful recipes that show off how smart you can cook when you cook simply. Mofmof.space