Ingredients:

• 100g coarse Salt plus extra for layering
• 50g sugar
• 10mls juniper berries
• 30mls fennel fronds, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 orange
• 500g ostrich steaks
• Amarula for brushing onto the steak
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• A few small scoops of Amarula and mushroom ice cream per plate

Method:

• Using a large plastic container, sprinkle a thin layer of coarse salt on the bottom
• Mix together 100g coarse salt with the sugar
• Finely grind the juniper berries using a spice grinder
• If you don’t have a spice grinder, crush them as fine as you can get them with a pestle and mortar
• Add the juniper, the fennel fronds and the zest to the salt / sugar mix
• Combine all together
• Pat the steaks dry the steaks and brush on the Amarula
• Put half of the curing mix on top of the salt
• Lay the steaks on this and then cover with the rest of the curing mix
• Cover with cling film and put a plate (or something heavy) on top of the meat
• Place in the fridge for 3 hours
• Remove and wash off the excess curing mix
• Allow the steaks to come up to room temperature
• While you are waiting, combine the canola oil with the orange juice and whisk well
• Season with a pinch of salt to taste
• Add the fennel and leave to marinade in the dressing
• Brush the olive oil onto the steaks and heat the excess in a pan
• Seal the steaks for 15 seconds on each side – you want a nice colour but you do not want to cook the steaks through
• Allow to rest and once cool, slice as thinly as you can
• Remove the fennel from the vinaigrette and shake off the excess dressing
• Place a small handful on each plate
• Cover with the steak and serve with a few small dollops of the ice cream (I used a half teaspoon measure to scoop them out of the container)

Cooks Notes: