Carpaccio of kangaroo with beetroot and native fruits recipe, Jason Saxby, Osteria di Russo & Russo, Sydney (2024)

• 250 gm kangaroo fillet (see note), trimmed of sinew and patted dry with paper towels
• 8 quandongs, halved (and defrosted if frozen; see note)
• 5 radicchio leaves, cut into 4cm rounds with a biscuit cutter
• To serve: extra-virgin olive oil, finely grated horseradish and purple basil leaves

• 200 gm Murray River pink salt flakes, plus extra, to serve
• 100 ml olive oil
• 1 tbsp each coarsely chopped thyme and rosemary
• 1 large beetroot (about 300gm), scrubbed and trimmed without exposing flesh

• 350 gm (about 3) small beetroot, trimmed, peeled and quartered
• 125 gm native currants (see note)
• 125 ml (½ cup) merlot vinegar or other aged sweet red wine vinegar
• 60 gm caster sugar

• 100 gm Illawarra plums, coarsely chopped (see note)
• 25 ml merlot vinegar or other aged sweet red wine vinegar, plus extra to season
• 25 gm caster sugar
• 20 gm cultured butter (such as Pepe Saya), diced

Main

• 1

  Roll kangaroo fillet tightly in plastic wrap to form a tight log, seal ends as tightly as you can, and freeze (at least 2 hours). Unwrap and slice meat very thinly, then place in a single layer on a piece of baking paper, cover and refrigerate.

• 2

  For salt-baked beetroot, preheat oven to 160C. Combine salt, oil, herbs, 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper and 60ml water in a bowl. Spread over a piece of foil large enough to enclose beetroot, wrap beetroot and bake directly on an oven rack until beetroot is tender when pierced with a metal skewer (1¼-1½ hours). Cool in foil (1½ hours), then unwrap, discard salt crust and wash and peel beetroot, then cut into 2.5cm-thick slices. Cut as many rounds out of each slice as possible with a 4cm round cutter, then slice crossways into thin rounds. Reserve trimmings and refrigerate rounds until required.

• 3

  See Also

  Guilt-Free Pasta RecipesHands Down the BEST Homemade Dinner Rolls RecipeYotam Ottolenghi’s Eritrean and Ethiopian recipes15 healthy and easy meal prep bowl recipes

  For native currant and beetroot agrodolce, juice beetroot in an electric juicer, place 125ml in a saucepan with currants, vinegar and sugar, bring to the boil, then set aside to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer, pressing currants with the back of a ladle to extract as much juice as possible. Reserve 100ml liquid, return remaining liquid to a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and reduce to a sticky syrup (8-10 minutes). Set aside at room temperature.

• 4

  Bring reserved agrodolce liquid to a simmer in a separate small saucepan, add quandong and set aside to cool.

• 5

  For Illawara plum purée, coarsely chop 100gm reserve beetroot trimmings (discard remaining), then combine with plums, vinegar, sugar and just enough water to cover in a small saucepan. Place a round of baking paper directly on top, then simmer over medium heat until water has almost evaporated, and plums and beetroot are tender (6-8 minutes). Cool briefly, then process in a small blender, adding butter gradually, until smooth. Season to taste with vinegar and sea salt.

• 6

  To serve, drizzle kangaroo with olive oil and season to taste, then arrange on serving plates, alternating kangaroo, beetroot and radicchio in a circle, spoon on quandongs, dot with plum purée, scatter with horseradish and purple basil leaves, then drizzle with agrodolce dressing and olive oil to taste.