CARDAMOM-CRUSTED ALASKAN CARIBOU WITH SPICY GINGERBREAD, BONIATO SQUASH PUREE, AND PORT WINE CRANBERRY ESSENCE

Cardamom-Crusted Alaskan Caribou with Spicy Gingerbread, Boniato Squash Puree, and Port Wine Cranberry Essence image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Number Of Ingredients 47

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Ingredients

4 eggs
8 ounces brown sugar
1 1/2 cups molasses
1 1/2 cups melted butter
1 1/4 pounds flour
3/4 ounces baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 ounce ground ginger
1/2 ounce ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground clove
1/2 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup minced shallots
1/2 ounce salt
1-ounce ground black peppercorns
16 ounces hot water
2 boniato, diced into 1-inch squares
3 quarts salted water
8 ounces whole butter
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
6 ounces ground cardamom
2 ounces ground white pepper
3 ounces garlic powder
5 bay leaves
2 ounces ground coriander
2 ounces ground juniper
6 ounces brown sugar
3 ounces kosher salt
3-pound caribou loin
2 ounces whole butter
1/4 cup whole butter
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 cup minced shallot
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 sprigs thyme
1 1/2 quarts port wine
1 quart cranberry juice
2 oranges, zested
2 cloves garlic
1 quart veal stock
2 ounces sugar
2 ounces orange juice
6 ounces whole cranberries
1 baking potato, like russets
1/2 cup clarified butter
6 sprigs tarragon

Steps:

Gingerbread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix eggs to smooth. Add sugar, molasses, and melted butter. Mix well. Blend in all dry ingredients, including the shallots until smooth. Add water and incorporate completely. Butter individual bundt or cupcake molds and fill half way. Bake until a toothpick comes out semi-dry. Reserve at room temperature.
Boniato Puree: Place the boniato in water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender, approximately 30 minutes. Process through food mill and blend in whole butter. Season with sea salt and ground white pepper. Reserve hot in pastry bag with plain piping tip.
Caribou: Grind the cardamom, white pepper, garlic powder, bay leaves, ground coriander, ground juniper berry, brown sugar, and kosher salt together in coffee grinder. Evenly coat caribou with mixture and sear in whole butter to light golden brown. Cook to rare and reserve.
Sauce: Heat butter in saucepan to golden brown, add carrot, celery, and shallot. Cook on medium heat to golden brown. Add peppercorns and thyme. Next add port wine and reduce by half. Add cranberry juice and reduce again by half. Add orange zest, garlic, and veal stock. Cook on medium, simmer until sauce reduces by at least half and is desired consistency. Strain and reserve hot. Place sugar, orange juice, and cranberries in a small pot and cook on low until all the liquid has evaporated. Reserve.
Garnish: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Slice potato paper-thin and stamp out into 1 1/4-inch circles. Brush butter onto parchment paper and form a "galette" by alternating potatoes with tarragon to form a complete ring. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours between buttered parchment paper. Cook to golden brown. Reserve.
Presentation: Place gingerbread in center of plate and pipe a semi-circle of boniato puree around. Next, slice caribou 1/6 of an inch thick and fan around puree. Ladle sauce over meat and dollop cranberries throughout. Accent plate with potato "galette" and serve.