SMOKED BUFFALO WITH MELTED FENNEL, LEEKS, AND HEARTS OF PALM SALAD WITH FLORIDA ORANGE VINAIGRETTE

Smoked Buffalo with Melted Fennel, Leeks, and Hearts of Palm Salad with Florida Orange Vinaigrette image

Provided by Food Network

Time 55m

Yield 4 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 25

1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced shallots
Juice from 10 Florida oranges, cooked until reduced to 1/4cup juice
1 1/2 cups grape seed oil
Coarse Florida Keys salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh hearts of palm, sliced in half-rounds
1 cup jicama, diced small
1/2 cup radish, diced small
Coarse Florida Keys salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound fennel, thinly sliced, bulb only
1 pound leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced
1 cup white wine
Coarse Florida Keys salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch sugar
Four 4-ounce logs buffalo tenderloin
2 teaspoons fennel pollen
Coarse Florida Keys salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 watermelon radishes, julienned, for garnish
1 Florida orange, sliced into segments, for garnish
2 cups petite greens
Lavosh crackers
Balsamic vinegar, such as Minus-8 Vinegar, for garnish

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
For the vinaigrette: Stir together the vinegar, honey, mustard, shallots and orange juice in a small mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the grape seed oil. Season with salt and pepper.
For the hearts of palm salad: Mix together the hearts of palm, jicama and radishes, and season with salt and pepper.
For the leeks and fennel: Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute the fennel until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and saute until juices are released, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine to deglaze the pan; cook until the liquid is reduced and has been absorbed. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
For the buffalo: Sprinkle each buffalo log with 1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen and some salt and pepper. Heat a saute pan over high heat, and then sear the meat on all sides until golden brown. Transfer to the oven and cook through until medium rare, 5 minutes. Carve evenly into 24 slices total.
Place three slices of buffalo on each plate. Top with the fennel-leek mixture, then the hearts of palm salad. Garnish with the watermelon radishes and orange segments. Toss the petite mixed greens in the Florida orange vinaigrette. Serve with lavosh crackers and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on the plate.