A dark and rich combination; the crunchy chocolate almond caramel works beautifully with succulent venison. This recipe uses cacao nibs, which are pieces of cacao beans that have been roasted, hulled and prepared to the point where they are ready to be mixed with cacao butter, sugar and milk to make chocolate. They taste a little like roast coffee beans, but with real chocolate overtones. Mickael serves this dish with parsnip purée, glazed baby carrots, amaretto sauce, and some fluffy mash.

Ingredients: (for 4)

• 100g caster sugar
• 50g whole almonds, toasted
• Maldon sea salt
• Milk (enough to cover the parsnips)
• 4 parsnips
• Bunch of baby carrots
• 4 portions of rump (each 170g)
• 15g cacoa (cocoa) nibs (best to source online)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 50g butter
• 1 shot amaretto
• 100ml good quality stock
• 20g butter

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 55ºC

Make a caramel with the sugar and a touch of water. Once blond, add the almonds, nibs and a pinch of Maldon sea salt. Stir then take off the heat and allow it to cool before blitzing coarsely.

Cut the parsnips in four length-wise and cook in salted milk. Blend the parsnips in a liquidiser, adding some of the cooking milk to obtain a smooth consistency. Add the butter and keep warm. 

Cook the carrots in salted water before glazing in a pan with a nut of butter and the honey.

Sear the venison all over until medium rare, remove from the pan and roll in the almond and cacao crumbs. Place in the oven at 55ºC, so that the meat rests and keeps warm while you finish your sauce.

Add the amaretto to the frying pan, and then add the stock. Once it simmers remove from the heat and add the butter.

Serve each venison rump sliced and accompanied by the parsnip purée, carrots and sauce. Mashed, roast or fondant potatoes work well with this.