Kangaroo Fillet with Basil oil and Caramelized Onion

This recipe is a lesson, more than anything, in how to cook perfect rare kangaroo. Most game is lean, and a long cooking time will result in dry, tough meat. The exception to this rule is game that is braised in a moist environment. But that is a completely different technique and I will deal with that at a later date.
Game that is cooked fast will result in meat that is tender, juicy and full of flavour. The important rules to remember:

• Keep the heat very high to seal the meat and brown it quickly.
  
• The meat will benefit from a long rest, after the initial searing. The result is meat that has a relaxed texture and an even distribution of juices.
  
• Salt the meat after the cooking is complete. I only apply this rule to game meat. Beef, pork etc, I usually salt just before cooking.
  

There are 3 components to this dish (or 4 if you also include the beetroot salad). It is certainly not a hard dish, but it is time consuming because of the long time required to caramelize the onions. They can, of course, be prepared in advance. However, the basil oil I would not prepare any earlier than required. You want to preserve as much fragrance and freshness as possible

Ingredients
Basil oil-
15g basil
1 green chilli (long and mild), deseeded
Sea salt
Black pepper
Pinch sugar
Extra virgin olive oil (mild)

Caramelized Onion-
2 large red onions
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp sugar

500g kangaroo fillets
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Method

Basil oil-
Grind the basil leaves and green chilli in a mortar and pestle to a paste. Add enough oil to create a fluid condiment. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Set aside.

Caramelized Onion-
Slice the onions 1cm thick. Place them in a wide saucepan with the olive oil, anchovy and cumin. Patience is required here (but not much effort). Over the lowest heat cook the onions for 1 hour, until soft and reduced. Cover the pan, so the onions sweat and braise in their own sweet juices. After 45 minutes add the sugar. During the process, stir from time to time and make sure the onions do not burn by adding small amounts of water. Keep warm.

Bring the kangaroo to room temperature. Rub the fillets with olive oil. Heat a pan over a very high heat. Sear the fillets for 1 minute each side. Wrap in a double layer of foil and leave to rest on a wooden board.
After 20 minutes, unwrap the kangaroo. Sear again over a high heat for 1 minute each side, to complete the cooking. The meat will be rare. Slice the meat. Arrange on a platter and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the basil oil and serve with the caramelized onion. Serves 2.

Note- I also serve a Beetroot and Horseradish salad. And by this I mean canned baby beetroots, drained, rinsed and sliced tossed with extra virgin olive oil and horseradish from a jar. I know this sounds lazy, but it works with all the other components. You can of course cook your own beets and use freshly grated horseradish.

Kangaroo with Chocolate & Chilli

This is an unusual, but luxurious dish. It is not a dish for everyday, but rather something you would take time out to prepare for a special occasion. Do not be alarmed by the use of chocolate here (I was very inspired by the film Chocolat) Bitter chocolate combines well with dark game meats (like hare and venison), so it is perfect with kangaroo. In fact the Spanish and Mexicans add chocolate to many meat dishes. I have seen recipes for beef, turkey, and duck.
Kangaroo is the leanest meat available (so my personal trainer tells me) and is popular amongst body builders, for the obvious reasons. Because of the lack of fat, this meat needs to be cooked rare. If you do not like your meat cooked this way, I would not bother with this dish. It is a crime to cook kangaroo “well done”. Kangaroo cooked this way will be tough. This native animal is relatively inexpensive (compared to other game) and a little goes a long way. Less than 400g will suffice for two people (unless you are a body builder, of course). Kangaroo is available from game suppliers and supermarkets.
Just a note on ingredients- you do need a rich French style stock for this. Add something gelatinous to the stock (like chicken feet or a pork trotter), to give it body And if you are up for it, clarify your stock with egg whites. Most restaurant cookbooks have instructions for this.
To cook the baby beetroots, simply put them into a covered dish and bake at 180c for 40 minutes or until tender. Allow them to cool and wearing latex gloves, top, tail and peel them. The latex gloves will provide protection from the “I’ve just killed someone” look. And if you would like to make this dish a bit easier, you can use tinned baby beetroots. However do realize that their flavour will be completely different to cooking your own.

Ingredients
1 litre of fresh stock ( I used a combination of beef and chicken)
1 small cinnamon stick
1 dried chilli, broken in two pieces
1 fresh bayleaf
400 g kangaroo fillets
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
10g fine dark chocolate (85% cocoa fat)
10 baby beetroots, cooked as described above
15g butter
Rosemary or mint sprig, for garnishing

Method
In a wide pan, heat the stock with the cinnamon, chilli and bayleaf.. Reduce it until you have a brown, shiny glaze. Remove the aromatics and set the glaze aside. Make sure the kangaroo is at room temperature. Rub with a few drops of oil and season well with salt. Heat another pan until hot and sear the kangaroo for 1 minute each side. Immediately wrap the meat in 2 layers of foil and leave to rest for 20 minutes on a wooden board. While the meat is resting, add the beetroots to the pan and reheat them gently. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate, broken into pieces. Season with salt and plenty of pepper (chocolate loves pepper) If the sauce is too thick, thin with some hot water-the sauce is chocolately, but it is not supposed to be fudge. Keep warm, while you finish the kangaroo. Heat a pan with the butter. Unwrap the meat and cook again 1 minute each side to reheat the meat and complete the cooking. The meat should now be perfectly rare. Slice thinly and arrange the meat and glistening beetroots on individual plates, drizzled with the sauce. Finish with a sprig of rosemary or mint.
Note- if the beetroots you purchased came attached with the leaves, even better.They make a perfect side dish. Discard any leaves that are wilted or unhealthy looking. Soak the remaining leaves in water to loosen any dirt. Toss them in a pan with butter to just wilt and season with salt and pepper.