Venison, Yams and Spiced Cauliflower Salad

Here is a lovely venison salad recipe from Mat McLean at Palate Restaurant in Hamilton. Silver Fern Farms Venison Medallions, Honey Roast Yams, Spiced Cauliflower Salad and Tamarillo Puree

“I love cooking with venison and these medallions are a favourite Silver Fern Farms cut of mine. It’s a simple dish to prepare and is perfect to share with friends and family in an informal dining situation. I have matched these venison medallions to winter vegetables – yams, cauliflower and tamarillos. A key philosophy in my cooking is to use fresh seasonal produce to bring out the flavour and textures. Bon Appétit!”

Ingredients Serves 4 to 6 for shared plate dining     Preparation time: 40 minutes

1 packet Silver Fern Farm Venison medallions

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Yams 

300g yams

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

For the tamarillo jam

400g tamarillos

½ cup soft brown sugar

For the cauliflower

½  small cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

25g butter

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon curry powder

30g toasted spice almonds

How to Make

1. Preheat oven to 180°c.
2. Place yams in a roasting dish with a dash of oil and roast yams until tender and golden, about 25 minutes. When tender, add vinegar and honey and return to oven for 5 minutes to glaze.
3. Meanwhile cut tamarillos in half and scoop out centre with a spoon into a small pot (discard skins).
4. Add brown sugar and place over a medium heat. Cook and reduce until you have tamarillos with a jam-like consistency.
5. Heat the barbecue plate or grill until hot. Season vension medallions with salt and freshly ground black pepper and rub with oil.
6. Place on barbecue or grill and cook according to instructions on the packet.
7. Remove from barbecue or grill, cover and set aside to rest for 5 minutes, while you cook the cauliflower.
8. Heat oil in a large frying pan, place in cauliflower and pan-fry until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add butter, spices and spiced almonds. Pan-fry for a further 2 minutes and season.

To serve                                                                                                                                      

Place venison, yams and cauliflower on a large sharing platter or wooden board. Serve with tamarillo jam.