WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Crispy roast potatoes:
800 g new or baby potatoes
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Poached quince:
2 quinces (about 500 g), peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
500 ml (2 cups) water
220 g (1 cup) caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 strips lemon peel
Wild venison backstrap:
500g Spring Ridge wild venison backstrap
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Radicchio and goat's curd salad:
1 small head radicchio, leaves torn
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and very finely sliced (fronds reserved for later)
100 g goat's curd, crumbled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ cup caramelised walnuts, roughly chopped (see recipe below), or toasted walnuts
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
HOW TO COOK IT
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes until just tender at the edges but still firm in the centre. Drain well and leave to steam-dry in the colander for 5 minutes.
Transfer the potatoes to a large roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat, then spread in a single layer. Roast for 35–40 minutes, turning once halfway, until deeply golden and crispy. Keep warm while you prepare the rest.
Meanwhile, make the poached quince. Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon and lemon peel in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a simmer. Add the quince wedges and cook for 20–25 minutes until tender and blushed a pale rose colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool slightly.
Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue grill to high. Rub the wild venison backstrap with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Chargrill for 3–4 minutes each side for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Remove from the heat and rest loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes before slicing.
While the venison rests, make the salad dressing. Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard. Season to taste.
Place the radicchio on a serving platter, add the fennel and poached quince wedges and drizzle over the dressing. Toss gently to combine, then scatter over the crumbled goat's curd and the caramelised walnuts.
Slice the wild venison backstrap across the grain into 1 cm slices. Arrange the salad on a large serving platter, lay the sliced venison over the top and serve with the crispy roast potatoes alongside.
Note: Quince can be poached up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated in its syrup. Venison is best served medium-rare. If quince is unavailable, ripe pears or a good-quality quince paste thinned with a little warm water make an excellent substitute.
Caramelised Walnuts:
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp sea salt
Line a flat tray with baking paper, then combine the nuts, sugar, salt, and fennel seeds in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling and stirring often, until the sugar begins to melt down into a caramel, and stir so the nuts are all well coated. It might take a while, and then the sugar is suddenly melted, so you have to work quite quickly at this point. Spread the nuts on your lined tray and leave to cool for a few minutes. Store nuts in an airtight container.
