MEDALLIONS OF VENISON IN AVOCADO CREAM

INGREDIENTS:

Medallions:   

8 medallions of venison (100-120 gr. each)

Olive oil

1 hoja santa (Piper auritum) leaf

100 ml. milk

Avocado cream:       

4 ripe medium-sized avocados

300 ml. cream

100 ml. chicken stock

200 ml. stock

40 gr. butter

10 gr. fresh coriander, chopped

1 serrano chili

40 gr. pistachios, shelled

2 hoja santa (Piper auritum) leaves

1 large pear

15 gr. powdered chapulín (grasshoppers)

Fresh corncob hair

200 gr. goats' milk cheese

50 ml. olive oil

1 guajillo chili, browned in oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

Nopales toast:

8 small tortillas

4 large fresh nopales (opuntia ficus-indica), in strips

Half cup of fresh or canned corn

Half a large white onion, finely chopped

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 medium-sized, non-stick frying-pan

2 pinches oregano

PREPARATION

Medallions: Marinate the medallions of venison in olive oil with one hoja santa leaf and 100 ml. milk for at least 2 h. Season with salt and pepper and cook. Set aside.

Avocado cream: Peel and stone the avocados. Crush with the milk, cream, cheese, serrano chili, hoja santa leaves and pistachios. Liquidise for 4 min. at maximum speed. Transfer the mixture to a frying-pan containing butter. Gradually pour in the chicken stock, stirring all the time. When the mixture reaches boiling point, lower the heat and add the coriander. Keep hot. Brown the corncob hair in a little oil and set aside.

Garnish: Heat a frying-pan over a medium heat and cook the tortillas. Brown and set aside. In the same pan, lower the heat and cook the nopal for about 15 min. Add the onion, tomatoes and corn and a little olive oil. Cook for 10 min., stirring all the time. Add the oregano and salt to taste.

TO SERVE:

Place the two medallions of venison on a large white plate off centre, and pour over a little sauce. Sprinkled with a little powdered chapulín and decorate with the corncob hair and browned, dry guajillo chili. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Accompany with the nopales toast.