'Assiette of Game: Sir Peter Mansfield' by Marianne Lumb

Marianne Lumb

Marianne Lumb

6th September 2018
Marianne Lumb

'Assiette of Game: Sir Peter Mansfield' by Marianne Lumb

This was my main course recipe for Great British Menu 2018. The MRI scanner celebrated 40 years since it was first used this year. Sir Peter Mansfield was awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize as the inventor and architect of the revolutionary scanner during his time at the University of Nottingham. Sir Peter passed away in 2003 but had I had the opportunity to meet him, this is what I would have cooked for him to say thank you. As a chef I have benefited from the machine on 3 occasions. I would forage in the Nottingham area, choosing the most beautiful organic and natural products I could find. The dish would culminate in venison, hare and rabbit from the region alongside a game jus made with beautiful Barolo flavours and finished with damsons from my mum’s garden.

Ingredients

  • for the braised rabbit:
  • 1 wild rabbit, portioned
  • ½ onion, medium dice
  • 1 carrot, peeled & sliced
  • 1 stick celery, diced
  • 200ml white wine
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 5 x sprigs of tarragon
  • 5 x sprigs of chervil
  • for the mousseline:
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • (rabbit loins from above)
  • egg white
  • paprika
  • double cream
  • lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped tarragon
  • 2 tbsp chopped chervil
  • ice
  • for the damson jus:
  • 2 small saddle of wild muntjac
  • 2 grouse
  • bones from the muntjac, grouse & rabbit liquor
  • 400mls barolo red wine
  • 2 onions, 4 carrots, 4 celery stalks
  • 1 litre chicken stock
  • 400g damsons
  • 10 sprigs thyme
  • 100g (or so to taste) damson puree
  • for the cannelloni:
  • 250g ‘00’ flour
  • 25g e v olive oil
  • 25g white wine
  • 1-2 free range eggs
  • parsley root puree:
  • 1kg parsley root, peeled & sliced
  • 50g butter
  • 100mls milk
  • 200mls cream
  • to serve:
  • 4 stems of cavollo nero
  • 40 small girolles mushrooms
  • to serve: 20 picked pieces of wood sorrel

Method

1. Make the jus: fillet the muntjac saddle, chop the bones small, remove the sinew from the muntjac and roll in clingfilm.
Prep the grouse, reserve the breasts and roast the rest of the bones and trim until golden brown. Meanwhile, roast the vegetables until golden brown.
Deglaze the bones with the red wine, then transfer to a sauce pan with the roasted vegetables. Add the chicken stock, whole damsons and thyme. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 hours.
2. Make the rabbit mousseline; heat a little oil in a pressure cooker and gently cook the onion, carrot & celery. Meanwhile, prep the rabbit, remove the offal and reserve for another dish. Then takeaway the forelegs and hindlegs, cut in half, and add to the veg in the pressure cooker.
Remove the loin from the rabbit, and dice and set aside in the fridge with the diced chicken breast. To the pressure cooker add the white wine, bring to the boil and allow to simmer briefly, then add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil again then turn down, add the pressure cooker lid and pressure cook for 14 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 mins and then remove and shred the rabbit meat.
3. Add the passed cooking liquor to the jus. Reduce until the perfect consistency, adjust the flavour with damson puree & sugar if needed.
4. Make the pasta, allow to rest for 30 mins, then roll until thin. Store on cling film wrapped tray, rest for 30 mins. Cut into 12 x 12cm squares, and blanch for 15 seconds in boiling water, refresh in iced water. Drain and then store on a clingfilmed tray again, until needed.
5. Make the parsley root puree, sweat the parsley root and cook gently until soft. Blitz with the milk in a thermomix until smooth.
6. Make the mousseline: blitz the chicken and rabbit meat with some egg white in an ice cold thermomix. Pass quickly through the cold drumsieve into a bowl set over iced water. Stir in the cold cream, gently but efficiently and season with lemon, salt & paprika. Then stir in the diced, braised rabbit, chopped herbs. Wrap in some cling film and test. Transfer to piping bag.
Roll the cannelonis on top of oiled clingfilm, roll and tie in knots, store until needed.
7. Fry the cavolo nero in a little oil until crisp but still green. Drain and allow to crisp on some blue paper cut into a shape.
8. TO SERVE: Pan fry the muntjac and girolles. Confit the grouse. Poach the cannelloni for 8 mins.
9. Cut the meat and cannelloni to desired shape, and serve with the puree, girolles, wood sorrel & cavolo nero. Dress with the jus and serve immediately.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.