How To Make: Kangaroo Tartare

A highlight from the menu at Martin Williams’ M Restaurants, the kangaroo tartare, inspired by Executive Chef Michael Reid’s time in Australia, arrives at the table as a pristine tower beneath a garden of edible flowers and leaves. And with kangaroo becoming far more popular in the UK, prized for its leanness, the ingredients for this particular dish are now becoming more readily available, thus making it easier to attempt to recreate this astonishing dish at home. Although still unavailable in most supermarkets, kangaroo can still be sourced relatively easily, and although the overall process is slightly laborious and time consuming, the overall effort certainly pays off, straight from the first mouthful.

This recipe also requires a sous-vide water bath in order to make the egg yolk sauce, an expensive kitchen gadget that’s still absent from most home kitchens. However, although the overall results wont be exactly the same, a number of DIY sous-vide solutions can be found online, from meticulously-controlled stove top methods, through to the more surprising use of a dishwasher.

This recipe is adapted from M: A 24 hour cookbook, which is available now.

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Kangaroo Tartare

Course Main Course

Cuisine Global

Ingredients

• 300 gram Kangaroo fillet finely chopped
• 4 tsp Capers in brine drained and rinsed
• 4 tsp Cornichons very finely chopped
• 4 Red onions very finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Edible flowers, to garnish
• Nasturtium leaves, to garnish
• 12 thin slices Toasted pumpkin or sourdough bread to serve

For the mushroom ketchup

• 300 ml Smoked Water
• 50 gram Sugar
• 50 ml White wine vinegar
• 100 ml Olive oil extra virgin
• 1 kg Button mushrooms trimmed and chopped

For the mushroom powder

• 20500 grams Dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt

For the pickled baby beetroot slices

• 150 ml Water
• 75 gram Sugar
• 75 ml Rice wine vinegar
• 4 Raw baby beetroots scrubbed and sliced wafer-thin, ideally using a mandolin

For the mushroom crisps

• 4 caps Fresh shiitake mushroom cut wafer-thin, ideally using a mandolin

For the sous vide egg yolk sauce

• 400 ml Vegetable oil
• 4 Free-range egg yolks at room temperature

Instructions

To make the mushroom ketchup

• Ccombine the smoked water, sugar and vinegar in a saucepan over a high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and bring to the heat.
• Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. S
• Set aside
• Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium hed.
• Add the mushrooms and sauté them until they are browned and have reabsorbed any liquid they give off
• Pour in the smoked water mixture and continue simmering until the mushrooms are very tender
• Transfer the mushrooms and any remaining liquid to a blender or food processor and blitz, then pass through a fine sieve into a bowl
• Season with salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to a squeezy bottle and leave to cool completely, chill until required
• The mushroom ketchup is ready to use as soon as it is made, or it can be stored for up to one month in a covered container in the fridge

To make the mushroom powder

• Put the dried shiitake mushrooms and salt in a small food processor and blitz until a fine powder forms
• Transfer to an air-tight container and set aside
• You can make it up to one month in advance and store in an airtight container at room temperature

The pickled baby beetroots

• Combine the water, sugar, vinegar and salt to taste in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar
• Bring to the boil, without stirring
• Remove the pan from the heat, add the beetroot slices and leave them in the liquid until it cools to room temperature
• Cover and chill until required
• This should be made at least two days in advance, but are best made at least four days in advance and will keep for up to one month in the pickling liquid in a covered container in the fridge

The mushroom crisps

• Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas Mark 2 and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper
• Place the mushroom slices on the baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 6 hours, or until dry. Leave to cool completely, then store until required
• Leave to cool completely, then store until required
• Take at least 6 hours to dry and can be made up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container until required

The egg sauce

• This should be started about 7 hours before you plan to serve, but can be made up to one day in advance and stored in a covered container in the fridge
• Place the oil and egg yolks in a heatproof container that fits inside a sous vide water bath and place the container in the machine. Set the temperature to 65°C and leave for 1¼ hours
• Meanwhile, place a bowl of iced water in the sink
• Transfer the yolks to the bowl and leave to cool, then place in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or up to 12 hours
• Just before serving, use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs from the water to another bowl
• Use a fork to whisk them to sauce consistency and season with salt and pepper to taste
• Transfer to a squeezy bottle or a piping bag fitted with a small round tip
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the pickled beetroot slices from the brine and pat dry with kitchen paper

To serve

• Toss the kangaroo pieces with the capers, cornichons and red onions, and season with salt to taste
• Equally divide the tartare among 4 plates, using a 10cm ring if you want a professional finish, and dot each with about 1 tablespoon of the egg sauce
• Add about 1 tablespoon of the mushroom ketchup to each portion, then add the mushroom crisps and pickled beetroot slices
• Garnish with the flowers and leaves and sprinkle mushroom powder around each portion of tartare. Serve with toasted bread.