Moose Heart Tartare

A recipe by Marc-André Corriveau for Chasse Québec

Preparation: 45 min. | 4 main courses or 8 appetizers

Ingredients:

• 1 moose heart
• 1 baguette
• 1 bunch of basil
• 1 large shallot
• 3 medium-sized dill pickles
• Vegetable oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Mayonnaise (homemade mayonnaise will enhance the taste)
• Three-year aged cheddar cheese
• Sambal oelek (to taste)
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Cut thin slices of baguette (1/4 inch thick). Place the slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, season, and bake at 350°F for about 8 minutes or until your croutons are golden and crispy. Set aside.
2. While the croutons are baking, boil ½ cup of red wine vinegar. Chop the shallot very finely in a bowl and pour the hot vinegar over it. Add a generous amount of pepper, let cool, and set aside. You've got your mignonette!
3. Dice the pickles into approximately ¼ inch cubes. Set aside.
4. Finely chop the basil. Set aside.
5. Trim the moose heart to remove the membranes and fat. Cut into slices and then into ¼ inch cubes. Place the cubes in a large round-bottomed mixing bowl.
6. Now, spread your moose cubes as much as possible on the sides of the bowl and salt to taste. Spread out this way, the meat will be easier to season.
7. Strain the mignonette to keep only the marinated shallots and add them to the meat. Also add the pickles, mayonnaise, sambal oelek, and chopped basil (to taste). Gently mix your tartare.
8. Serve with croutons. You can grate cheddar cheese shavings over the tartare when serving or make cheddar cheese tiles by melting and oven browning the cheese on parchment paper.