Christmas Starter – Venison Salami

We are firm believers that salami isn’t just for a cheeseboard….Especially when it’s as good as ours. Here is a recipe inspired by the talented Chef Johnny Heaney of Lime Leaf in Derry.

A simple a fresh dish but one that packs massive flavor with beautiful textures. This is perfect for your Christmas day starter to wake up your taste buds ready for the main event. Give it a try and really impress your guests this year.

Venison Salami with pickled veg.

Ingredients:
Corndale Farm Venison Salami
Mustard Seeds
Carrot
Cucumber
Rapeseed Oil
Green Olive Tapenade

This recipe starts a few days before Christmas, but don’t worry its really not hard and doesn’t take long.
You want to start by pickling your mustard seeds in a quick and easy brine. Mix together equal parts sugar & white wine vinegar add a pinch of salt and chopped shallots for added flavor. Add the mustard seeds to the brine and put in an air tight container or jar. Leave these for a min 2-3 days but the longer the better. The seeds will start to soften and take on the flavor of the brine.

For the Veg I like to take a speed peeler and shave long strips of carrot and cucumber. The carrot gets the pickling treatment a few hours before serving. This time its a fast pickle and doesn’t take long as the carrot is shaved thinly.

Put the lengths of Carrot in a bowl and add equal parts red wine vinegar and sugar. Just enough to cover. A good season of salt and a few thyme leaves. Cover and set aside before serving.

The cucumber will get a very quick “Cure” just before serving. Mix together equal parts salt and sugar. About 25g of each should be enough. Sprinkle over the cucumber and give it a good rub. The salt and sugar will start to draw the water from the cucumber changing the texture and firming it up. Before assembly give the cucumber a quick wash with white wine vinegar to remove the salt.

Now its just an assembly job.

Place 2-3 slices of Venison salami on the plate.
Take the carrot and wrap it around your little finger to form a cone shape. Carefully place on top of the venison.
Do the same with the cucumber or I like to put a small slice half way down and twist it carefully. Make it look pretty…..we eat with our eyes as well as our mouth.
Add to the plate a teaspoon of the pickled mustard seeds accompanied by a teaspoon of green olive tapenade.
Finally drizzle over some lovely local rapeseed oil and garnish will some fresh herbs.

Voila! There you have it a simple and fresh dish that is sure to please all your guests.

Preparation is key as the rest is simple assembly. If you want to make it more substantial serve with some toasted ciabatta for crunch! You can try mixing it up also with pickled fruit like raspberry or blackberry, or try pickling some cauliflower florets.

I urge you to give it a go and really take your festive feast to the next level.

Alastair