Cooking On The Couch: A Taste Of New Zealand
NEW YORK (WLNY) -- The taste of New Zealand is alive and well at The Musket Room in the heart of Nolita. The restaurant's executive chef and owner Matt Lambert stops by The Couch to cook up New Zealand red deer with flavors of gin.
Roast Deer
Ingredients
8 oz., Leg Filet cut
1 tbsp butter
1 sprig of thyme
1 clove of garlic
Directions
Poach in boiling water for 12 minutes at 140F
Let cool until room temperature
Sear in a hot cast-iron skillet at medium/high heat until browned on both sides, about 30 seconds
Add butter, thyme, garlic and baste before removing from the pan
Garnish:
The deer is plated alongside generous dollops of celery root puree, juniper-flavored meringue and roasted fennel, and then the plate is drizzled with a licorice-infused jus.
Celery Root Puree
Ingredients
1kg celery root (Chopped into 1-inch squares)
½ cup olive oil
Salt (to taste)
1 tsp xantham
2 cups cilantro leaves
2 cups cream
Directions
Place ½ cup olive oil in a medium pot with a lid and bring to high heat on a stovetop
Place 2 cups cream to warm over low heat
Cook celery root in olive oil for 15-20 minutes, checking regularly to make sure it isn't turning brown or darkening in color - adjust heat if necessary
Remove from heat, and place in blender with salt, xantham and cilantro
Blend on high speed slowly adding cream ¼ cup at a time until mixture is perfectly smooth and creamy (there may be some cream left over, add until the mixture appears smooth but not runny), about 10 minutes total
Fennel
Ingredients-
2 bulbs fennel
2 cups orange Juice
Salt (to taste)
Olive oil (to drizzle)
1 bunch rosemary
Directions
Cut fennel into 4-inch long pieces and place in deep-rimmed baking pan
Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and rosemary sprigs
Pour orange juice in to pan, juice should fill pan up to ¼ inch
Cover pan with aluminum foil to seal for steaming in the oven
Place sealed pan in oven at 375F for 10-15 minutes, until fennel is tender and cooked through
Juniper Meringue
Ingredients like isomalt and trimoline might sound intimidating, but they are both sugar-derived ingredients that will help your merengue come together, and can be ordered online or found at a specialty cooking store.
Ingredients
130gr juniper base
50gr ground juniper berries
410gr water
114gr egg white powder
½ tsp salt
160gr isomalt
126gr water
170gr trimoline
Directions
Combine juniper base ingredients in a bowl and measure 130 gr of mixture
Bring isomalt, water and trimoline to 220-225F in a sauce pan, until sugars are a "soft thread"
Pour heated sugar into bowl with the base ingredients, staying as close to the edge of the bowl as possible
Whip on high until mixture is fluffy and doubled in size, about 5-6 minutes
Licorice Jus
Ingredients
1qt brown chicken stock
4 tbsp freeze dried licorice
Dash of lemon juice
Salt (to taste)
Directions
In a small sauce pan, place stock on medium heat until it reduces to 1/3 original amount
Season with salt & lemon juice
Add freeze dried licorice - upon addition, the stock should change in color
When the color has fully darkened, strain the liquid and drizzle over final dish
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