The following recipe was sent as a course in the fall menu of our gourmet restaurant. During the development, our intense fennel perfume was created that, among other things, was combined in the dish with our matured cherry blossom miso from our fermentation laboratory. In this way, we succeeded in bringing together the flavors of fennel and venison to create an integrated, intense experience for all senses.
Ancient methods combined with state-of-the-art technology enabled us to create this unique taste experience.
Fennel perfume
Quarter the sour cherries and place them in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Place the sour cherry juice in a small pan on the stove and cook until reduced by half, then place to one side.
Prepare the venison loins, season with salt and pepper and fry in a large, non-stick pan on the stove to sear the meat all round. Then remove from the plan, place on a wire baking tray and cook in an oven preheated to 100 °C with the upper and lower heat setting, until a core temperature of 56 °C is reached. Then remove the meat from the oven and leave to rest for a short time at room temperature.
Foam the butter in the pan on the stove, place the meat back in the pan. Add thyme and juniper and refry the meat all round in the flavored butter until the butter has stopped foaming. Then remove the meat from the pan and leave it to rest again. Deglaze the pan with the game stock, boil for a short time and add salt and the reduced cherry juice to taste.
Then strain the liquor through a fine sieve and bind the sauce to thicken slightly with a little cornstarch previously stirred into cold water.
Clean the fennel, remove the core and the fennel fronds from the bulb and place to one side.
Then cut the fennel into around 0.5 to 1 cm wide strips with a food slicer, roast until golden brown in a large non-stick pan on the stove until golden brown and then braise for approx. 10 minutes in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 150 °C until soft. After the fennel has cooled somewhat, stir in the cherry blossom miso, add sea salt to taste, arrange in rings with a diameter of 7 to 8 cm and place next to each other on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and leave to completely cool.
Clean the fennel, remove the core and the fennel fronds from the bulb and place to one side. Then cut the fennel into very thin slices with a food slicer, rinse under running cold water, thoroughly drain and pat dry with a tea towel. Then deep-fry in 140 °C grease (deep-fat fryer) until golden yellow, drain on a paper towel on a plate and sprinkle with salt and ground fennel seed.
If the chips are not yet completely crispy, transfer them onto a fresh paper towel and then leave them to dry out for 2 to 3 hours in an oven preheated to 60 °C.
finely cut the fennel trimmings, place in a pot with the Noilly Prat, boil on the stove until the liquid has almost completely disappeared. Then top up with water, add salt and boil again, remove from the stove, cover and leave to infuse for an hour, and then finely strain through a fine sieve. Place 400 mL fennel stock with the lemon juice and agar-agar in a pot and simmer on the stove set to medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Then leave to completely cool in the fridge.
Mix the jelly produced with a mixer to form a creamy gel, place in an icing bag and place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Heat the fennel portioned in rings in the oven at 100°C for 10 minutes and then divide between preheated plates. Place a few dots of fennel gel and quartered sour cherries on the plates, generously scatter fennel chips on the plates and garnish with fresh fennel fronds.
