VENISON AND DAIKON RADISH MOSAIC
CHARCUTERIE, AN essential part of the Lyon cuisine, has always been one of my passions. Since 2007, third-generation Parisian charcutier and friend Gille Vérot oversees tradition and innovation in an elaborate charcuterie program for our casual restaurants. For executive chef Jean-François Bruel, aka JFK, the annual pig slaughter at his parents’ farm near Saint-Étienne in France meant he would be allowed to help with the making of terrines, one of his favorite childhood memories. Fast-forward to his head post at Daniel, where each season we offer at least two terrines and where JFK often takes the creative lead to craft new combinations, such as this saddle of venison cooked sous-vide and paired in a perfect miniature checkerboard made of squares of foie gras, daikon radish, and venison en gelée.
Ingredients
Poached Venison Loin
Seasoning mix per pound of trimmed venison
Daikon Radish and Foie Gras Batons
Assembling the Mosaic
Plum Coulis
Daikon Radish “Tubes” and Pickles
Prune Paste Coins
Compressed Red and Yellow Plums
To Finish
Instructions
For the Poached Venison Loin
  1. Using an immersion circulator, preheat a water bath to 139°F. Trim the loin of any fat or sinew, weigh it, and measure the seasoning according to the seasoning ratio listed in the ingredients. Sprinkle the seasoning over all sides of the meat, transfer to a sous-vide bag, and vacuum-seal. Submerge in the prepared water bath and cook for 24 hours. Cool the bag at room temperature for 1 hour. Press between baking sheets with a weight on top, such as canned goods, and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the bag and cut the loin into ¼-inch-wide, long batons and reserve, chilled.
  2. Alternately, season the loin and rest for 2 hours in the refrigerator. In a large saucepan, heat 2 quarts Venison Consommé (here) or Veal Stock (here) to 160°F and maintain the temperature as best as possible using a stem thermometer. Poach the loin for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meat reaches 139°F. Cool the loin at room temperature in the liquid for 1 hour. Remove the meat, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and press between baking sheets with a weight on top, such as canned goods; refrigerate overnight. Cut the loin into ¼-inch-wide, long batons and reserve, chilled.
For the Daikon Radish and Foie Gras Batons
  1. Cut the radish into long batons, ¼ inch wide and as straight as possible. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side. Boil the batons until they are tender, about 30 seconds. Chill in the ice water, dry, and refrigerate.
  2. With a sharp slicing knife rinsed in hot water after each use, trim off the outer layers of fat from the terrine and cut into long batons, ¼ inch wide and as straight as possible. Reserve, chilled.
For Assembling the Mosaic
  1. Line a 16 × 1½-inch rectangular terrine mold with a sheet of acetate and trim so the long sides extend ½ inch from the rim.
  2. Soak the gelatin sheets in ice water for 10 minutes; squeeze dry. Pour the consommé into a medium saucepan and, while cold, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, remove from the heat, and stir in the gelatin until dissolved. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a medium bowl and cool to room temperature. The gelée should be liquid but viscous (very close to the point at which it begins to set); heat as necessary if it begins to solidify.
Place the terrine mold on a work surface aligned horizontally to you. Ladle a thin layer of gelée at the bottom of the mold. Before layering, dip the ingredients into the gelée. Starting from the farthest end and working toward you, start lining the batons horizontally to make a checkerboard pattern in this order
  1. Bottom: Venison, daikon, foie gras, venison, thin layer of gelée—chill to set
  2. Second row: Daikon, foie gras, venison, daikon, thin layer of gelée—chill to set
  3. Third row: Foie gras, venison, daikon, foie gras, thin layer of gelée—chill to set
  4. Top row: Venison, daikon, foie gras, venison
  5. Spoon in gelée to the rim of the terrine, chill to set, and then fold the extended acetate onto the top. Wrap the terrine in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  6. Carefully run a small knife between the edges of the terrine and the acetate mold to loosen it, and using the acetate as an aid, remove the terrine from the mold. Peel off the acetate and wrap the terrine tightly in several layers of plastic wrap. Return to the refrigerator until well chilled, about 1 hour.
For the Plum Coulis
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for about 15 minutes, until the plums are very tender and most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Pass through a fine-meshed sieve, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small tip, and reserve, chilled.
For the Daikon Radish “Tubes” and Pickles
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side. Slice the radish into 1-inch discs. With a ½-inch-diameter ring cutter or cannoli form, punch out at least 45 cylinders, then use a ¼-inch-diameter ring cutter to cut out the middle of the rounds to make tubes. Reserve the middle pieces in a heatproof container. Boil the tubes for about 30 seconds, until just cooked; chill in the ice water. Dry and reserve, chilled.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, honey, grenadine syrup, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and coriander and bring to a simmer. Pour over the reserved radish middles and allow to cool at room temperature. Cover and reserve, chilled.
For the Prune Paste Coins
  1. Soak the gelatin sheets in ice water for 10 minutes; squeeze dry. Place the prunes in a food processor and process until pasty. Scrape the paste through a fine-meshed drum sieve and measure ½ cup into a medium bowl. Whisk in the almond oil, Sauternes, and then ¾ cup water until smooth. Transfer half of the mixture to a small saucepan, whisk in the agar-agar, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin until dissolved. Whisk in the remaining prune mixture, then pass everything through a fine-meshed sieve. While still hot, pour onto a rimmed plate to reach ¼-inch thickness and transfer to the refrigerator, being sure to keep it flat, for 1 hour, or until set. Use a ½-inch-diameter ring cutter to cut out at least 15 coins.
For the Compressed Red and Yellow Plums
  1. Peel and reserve the skins from the red plums. In a small saucepan, combine the skins with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and ¼ cup water. Simmer until reduced by half. Strain the syrup through a fine-meshed sieve and chill. Cut the peeled red plums in half, remove the pits, and combine with the syrup in a sous-vide bag and vacuum-seal.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine the 4 tablespoons remaining sugar with 2 tablespoons water and bring to a simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Chill, then add the lemon juice. Peel the yellow plums, cut in half, and remove the pits. Combine with the lemon syrup in a sous-vide bag and vacuum-seal. Chill both bags of compressed plums for at least 12 hours.
To Finish
  1. Remove the compressed plums from their bags and cut into thin half-moon-shaped slices.
  2. For each serving, cut two ½-inch-thick slices from the terrine and peel away the plastic wrap. Lay the slices on one side of a chilled plate, brush with almond oil, and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Arrange 3 daikon radish tubes in the center of the plate, then place a small spoonful of mostarda and a piece of pickled daikon radish next to each one. Pipe plum coulis into each daikon tube, top with micro pepper cress, and place a slice of yellow plum against it. On the other side of the plate, lay 2 slices of compressed red plum so the straight edges meet. Top with a plum paste coin, a piece of mostarda, and a leaf of micro mustard.