Venison carpaccio

Instructions

1. Season the venison backstrap on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan over very high heat, then add a drizzle of oil. Sear the venison, turning every 30 seconds, until browned on all sides. Remove to a plate and allow to cool.
   
2. Once cooled, tightly wrap the venison in plastic wrap and freeze for 45 – 60 minutes to firm up. This will make it easier to slice thinly later.
   
3. Meanwhile, pick the fennel fronds (save the fennel bulb for another recipe!) and set aside. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the pecorino cheese. Place the smoky aioli in a ziplock bag or squeeze bottle, ready to pipe.
   
4. When ready to serve, remove the venison from the freezer and unwrap the plastic wrap. Use a sharp knife to thinly slice the venison carpaccio. Lay the slices out on a presentation plate and top with the picked fennel fronds, shaved pecorino cheese, piped dots of aioli, and a few pieces of confit pine mushrooms and drizzle with the truffle oil.

• To make confit mushrooms, preheat the oven to 125˚C (fan-forced). Cut 1 kg pine mushrooms into large pieces or halve them if small, toss with 1 teaspoon salt and set in a colander to drain in the sink for 30 minutes. Discard any liquid and transfer the mushrooms to a tight-fitting, heavy-based saucepan, cover completely with extra virgin olive oil and cook in the oven for 1 - 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove from the oven, allow to cool to room temperature then transfer to jars, ensuring they are completely covered with oil.