Smørrebrød with Venison Salad, Pickled Mushrooms and Juniper Cream
Venison salad with pickled mushrooms and juniper cream © kvalifood.com
Venison salad belongs at the finer end of the smørrebrød repertoire and tastes of autumn and forest. Game has a deeper, more intense flavour than ordinary meat and pairs well with strong accompaniments: pickled mushrooms with their earthy acidity, and juniper cream with its resinous spice. Juniper is a classic game seasoning, and here it is used in a cream that adds aroma without overwhelming. This is a smørrebrød you find at traditional smørrebrød restaurants in autumn when the hunting season is on.
Ingredients
Yields 4 servings
Juniper cream
- 1 dl crème fraîche 38%
- 4 juniper berries, crushed and finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt
Pickled mushrooms
- 200 g mixed mushrooms (chanterelles, porcini)
- 1 dl white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 peppercorns
Venison salad
- 200 g smoked (or poached) game, pulled into pieces
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- salt
- pepper
Assembly
- 4 slices dark rye bread
- butter, for the bread
- watercress
- coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
Pickled mushrooms
Clean and halve the mushrooms. Bring the vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaf and pepper to the boil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Leave to cool in the liquid.
Juniper cream
Mix crème fraîche, juniper berries and lemon juice. Leave to rest 15 minutes.
Venison salad
Mix the game with mayo, crème fraîche and parsley. Season to taste.
Assembly
Spread the bread with butter. Distribute the venison salad. Top with pickled mushrooms. Add a dollop of juniper cream. Garnish with watercress and pepper.