Juniper-Cured Venison Carpaccio with Blackberry, Hazelnut and Wild Herbs

⏱ 150 min · Serves 4

Wafer-thin ruby slices of loin, briefly cured in juniper, black pepper and thyme, then draped with a sharp blackberry dressing, toasted hazelnuts and peppery leaves. It looks like a restaurant plate but the oven never gets switched on — just a little patience while the freezer does the hard work of slicing.

Per serving: 392 kcal · 26.0g protein · 6.0g carbs · 29.0g fat

Ingredients

• 350g venison loin (haunch fillet), trimmed of all sinew
• 1 tbsp juniper berries
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 tsp flaky sea salt
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• Leaves from 3 sprigs thyme
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 100g blackberries
• 1 tbsp blackberry or red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp runny honey
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 50g blanched hazelnuts
• 40g Parmesan or aged goat's cheese, shaved
• 2 handfuls watercress, rocket or mixed wild leaves
• Flaky salt and cracked pepper, to finish

Method

1. Crush the juniper berries and peppercorns coarsely in a pestle and mortar, then mix with the flaky salt, sugar, thyme leaves and lemon zest.
2. Rub the venison loin all over with 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, then roll it firmly in the juniper cure until completely coated. Wrap tightly in cling film into a tight cylinder and chill for 90 minutes.
3. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Cool, then roughly chop.
4. Unwrap the venison and brush off most of the cure (leave a light crust). Re-wrap tightly and freeze for 30–40 minutes, until firm but not solid — this is the secret to paper-thin slices.
5. Meanwhile, make the dressing: crush half the blackberries with the vinegar and honey, push through a fine sieve, then whisk in the extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Halve or quarter the remaining blackberries.
6. Using your sharpest knife, slice the chilled loin as thinly as you possibly can. Lay slices between two sheets of cling film and tap gently with a rolling pin to flatten to near-transparency.
7. Arrange the carpaccio over four chilled plates, edges just overlapping. Season lightly with flaky salt and cracked pepper.
8. Spoon over the blackberry dressing, scatter the berries, hazelnuts and cheese shavings, then pile a few dressed leaves in the centre. Finish with a thread of rapeseed oil and serve immediately.