There was a time when strawberries were commonly included in chicken salads which never tickled my fancy and ruined for me the thought of strawberries being used in a savoury dish. After a bit of experimenting, however, I think pairing them with tender slices of rare venison, toasted pistachios and sweet well-aged balsamic is a winner. The flavours and textures work well and look gorgeous.
Ingredients
| 2 Tbsp | Balsamic, plus 1 extra for dressing (choose a good quality aged balsamic) |
| 1 | Venison tenderloin |
| 2 tsp | Brown sugar |
| 1 | Orange, finely grated zest |
| 1 tsp | Chilli flakes |
| 1 Tbsp | Extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 extra for dressing |
| 1 pinch | Salt & freshly ground pepper |
| ½ cup | Pistachio nuts, toasted and chopped |
| 4 handfuls | Rocket, or 1x 120g bag |
| 1 punnet | Strawberries |
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Directions
- Place the venison into a container then add the balsamic, sugar, orange zest, chilli, olive oil and seasoning. Massage with your hands then cover and leave to marinate for as little as 2 hours or up to 24.
- Heat a frying pan and add the oil. Cook the venison by first searing on all sides then covering and letting it cook on a gentler heat for 10 minutes. Let rest until cool then slice.
- Arrange the venison with the pistachios, rocket leaves and sliced strawberries. Drizzle over the extra balsamic and olive oil then serve.
