Ostriches are large flightless birds that are native to Africa and require warm climates to be farmed. Such climate can easily be found in Iran and currently twelve provinces are farming ostriches.
In this article you will find two methods to cook the large bird:
1. Persian Cuisine uses a tandoor oven to cook the bird – watch video:
2. Roasted Fillet of Ostrich with Black Pudding and Carpaccio of Cattle Hump
I went to the Masaai Mara, National Reserve in Kenya to film Tales from the Bush Larder. The highlight of this episode was the extraction and subsequent drinking of fresh cows blood. It was an experience I will never forget. It is one of the traditional ceremonial Masaai foods, and is definitely an acquired taste, but not one that I can say I have acquired! I used the blood to make a delicious black pudding in the recipe below.
Ingredients
- 500gm Ostrich Fillet
- 100g thinly sliced cattle Hump (ask your butcher)
- 1 black pudding, taken out of its casing and mashed up
- 200ml beef stock
- ½ punnet oyster mushroom
- ½ punnet button mushroom
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp blue cheese
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 50ml port
- Lay out about a 10 inch wide strip of cling film that is twice as long as the ostrich fillet
- Carefully lay out the sliced cattle hump in the middle third of the cling film, ensuring you don’t leave any gaps and the slices are perfectly flat. Lightly sprinkle with salt and paprika.
- Lay the seasoned ostrich fillet on top of this, and then sprinkle the black pudding all over the ostrich fillet.
- Carefully take the bottom edge of the cling film and roll the whole thing so that the cattle hump completely encases the ostrich a forms a perfect cylinder. Roll it tightly and set in the fridge.
- To make the sauce add some butter to a pan and throw in the crushed garlic and the thyme. Then add the mushrooms and fry them till soft. Deglaze the pan with a slug of port.
- Season with salt and pepper then add the double cream and the blue cheese. Finally add the beef stock and reduce till you have a thick creamy sauce.
- Remove the ostrich fillet from the fridge. Carefully remove the cling film, then wrap the whole thing in tin foil and cook in a hot oven for 20 mins.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove the tin foil then cut nice chunky slices to serve.
- Serve with the sauce and some creamy mashed potatoes should you wish.
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