Cold Smoked Venison

Shiso Powder, Koji Mousseline, Venison Takoyaki, Braised Daikon, Mushroom, Caviar Butter

Chef Ricardo Heredia of Salted Pig American BBQ | Tucson, AZ

Adapted by StarChefs | Month Year

INGREDIENTS:

Smoked Venison:
1 each venison loin

Venison Katsuobushi Dashi:
700 milliliters hot water
6 grams bonito flakes
10 grams venison katsuobushi
20 grams kombu

Koji Mousseline:
1 cup cooked koshihikari rice
40 grams shio koji
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1 teaspoon lemon juice
15 milliliters hot water
170 grams melted butter
5 grams dried daikon radish seeds

Venison Takoyaki:
½ pound venison scraps
20 grams minced ginger
20 grams minced garlic
10 grams minced chive
120 grams all-purpose flour
9.6 grams baking powder
4 grams sea salt
2 each large eggs
3 teaspoons dark soy sauce
350 milliliters Venison Katsuobushi Dashi
12 each dried green shiso leaves, pulverized in blender
20 grams dried sunflower petals, pulverized in blender
80 grams venison katsuobushi

Braised Vegetables:
350 milliliters Venison Katsuobushi Dashi
1 daikon radish
1 king trumpet mushroom
200 grams soft butter
30 grams American bowfin caviar

METHOD:

For the Smoked Venison:
Trim the venison head and tail meat and reserve for takoyaki. Smoke with cherry wood at 150F for 2 hours.

For the Venison Katsuobushi Dashi:
Add the bonito flakes and kombu to a Vitamix blender. Pulverize at high speed. Reserve. Add the venison katsuobushi and pulverize. Turn off and pour the hot water over. Cover and allow mixture to steep for 10 minutes in the blender container. Remove the lid and add the bonito-kombu powder and give it a couple more pulses in the blender. Return the lid and allow the mixture to steep for another 10 minutes. Strain through a chinois and reserve.

For the Koji Mousseline:
Separate the egg yolk from the white. In a Vitamix blender, add the cooked rice and shio koji. Blend on speed 7 for 2 minutes to begin to warm the mixture. Add egg whites one at a time blending for 2 minutes before adding the next. Increase speed to 10 for another 2 minutes or until the volume doubles and reserve. In the clean Vitamix container, add the egg yolk, hot water and lemon juice. Blend at full speed for 2 minutes. In a small stream slowly add the melted butter. Fold the hollandaise into the rice mixture and reserve. Fry dried daikon seeds in 375F oil for 10-15 seconds until puffed.

For the Venison Takoyaki:
Add the venison scraps, ginger, 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, and garlic to a Vitamix blender. Puree on 3 scraping down the sides as needed until a textured paste is formed. Increase the speed to 7 and slowly add half of the mousseline. Blend in the chives and reserve in a piping bag. In a clean Vitamix container, mix the eggs, remaining teaspoon of soy sauce, and half of the dashi on medium speed. With the motor running on low speed, add half the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the remaining dashi and blend on medium speed. With the motor running add the remaining dry ingredients including half of the powdered sunflower petals. In a takoyaki pan, coat with oil and fill wells with batter, cook for approximately 2 minutes and turn 90 degrees. Add a little more batter and turn 90 degrees. Pipe the filling into the takoyaki and turn again making sure there is plenty of batter to close the sphere. Reduce heat and continue to cook until golden turning as needed.

For the Braised Vegetables:
Cut the daikon into cylinders. Slice mushrooms lengthwise and cook both separately in simmering dashi for 30 minutes. Allow to cool in dashi.

To Assemble and Serve:
When ready to plate, rewarm the daikon in the cooled dashi, remove the mushroom from its dashi and cook mushroom in pizzelle iron. Brush the smoked venison with the mushroom infused dashi and roll in powdered shiso. Top koji mousseline with puffed daikon seeds and garnish takoyaki with venison katsuobushi and remaining sunflower powder. Blend caviar and butter for additional garnish.

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