Recently featured in FOUR – The World’s Best Food Magazine’s latest UK edition, Sheffield-born British chef Jason Atherton has continued to make a splash in London’s culinary scene with his growing empire of fine-dining eateries ever since he opened his first Mayfair restaurant in 2011.
Pollen Street Social, which opened April 2011 to rave critical review and a Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2012, was followed by Social Eating House in Soho; Little Social, just across the road from Pollen Street Social; and, most recently in 2013, Berner’s Tavern at the London EDITION hotel.
The perfect addition for any showstoppergourmetChristmas menu, Jason’s beetroot and berry inspired venison dish is bang-on in colour, not to mention Michelin-star credentials, and is sure to impress even the most jaded of your food-loving guests…
Serves 4
Ingredients
Pickled beetroot
500ml pomace oil
50ml white wine vinegar
50ml acacia honey
15g caster sugar
½ bunch of thyme
1 garlic clove
5g Maldon sea salt
Tartare dressing
65g diced raw venison loin
Cornichons, as required
Capers, as required
Shallots, as required
70g tomato ketchup
10g Dijon mustard
30g Worcester sauce
1ml red Tabasco sauce
Table salt to taste
Black peppercorn, ground to taste
Baby beetroots
200g baby beetroots
200g golden baby beetroots
10g thyme
2 garlic clove crushed
200g rock salt
Nitro berries
100g blackberries
100g raspberries
200ml liquid nitrogen
Garnish
Crisp sourdough
Chervil
Wild sorrel
Chickweed
Foraged herbs
Method
Pickled beetroot
Emulsify oil, vinegar, salt, sugar and honey in a Thermomix. Once emulsified add the thyme and garlic. Slice the raw beetroots, using a 30ml cutter, into discs and place in the marinade. SousVide for 24hours. Wash the trimmings from the beetroot discs for the reduction. Place in a pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Break down with a bar mixer and pass and reduce to a glaze. When cool add the white wine vinegar and finish with olive oil.
Tartare dressing
Finely dice the venison and mix with the cornichons, capers and shallots. Add the dressing and season to taste.
Baby beetroots
Scrub the baby beetroots clean and roast in the oven over salt, thyme, garlic and bay leaf. Sprinkle with water and cover with tin foil, so they don’t dry out. Allow to cool and peel.
For the nitro berries
Place the blackberries and raspberries in a large metal bowl. Wearing protective clothing and equipment, cover the berries with the liquid nitrogen. Allow all of the nitrogen to evaporate completely, leaving the berries entirely frozen. Cover the bowl with another bowl on top and shake vigorously to smash the berries into little frozen pearls.
Sourdough crisps
Take a small sourdough loaf and cut in half. Wrap and freeze until hard. Thinly slice on a slicing machine and place on greaseproof paper. Cover with another piece of greaseproof paper and bake in the oven until crisp and golden brown.