After I made the tiramisu, I had some leftover mascarpone that I certainly didn't want to throw away. I also had some caribou chops in the freezer, courtesy of Uncle Ron and his hunting trip to Labrador. I didn't want them languishing in the freezer for a month while I was away, so I decided on a caribou marsala. This has to count as one of my wisest decisions ever. It was lick-your-plate delicious and I can't wait to make it again.
I made the sauce by searing the caribou in a hot pan, removing it and cooking some chopped shallots. I added marsala, reduced it, and then added some reduced beef stock. To finish, I swirled in some butter and garnished it with a bit of chopped parsley. Make this sauce! It's old-school, but delicious.
On the side I served polenta with mascarpone, Parmesan and black garlic. Black garlic? I've been seeing lots of blogs about this stuff, so when I saw it on sale at my local grocery store I picked some up. It's got a funky smell, but a mild flavour, and the texture is a bit like that of roasted garlic: soft and sticky. I don't believe the miracle properties ascribed to this stuff, but it's an interesting ingredient, and certainly a dramatic-looking one. Oh, and roasted Brussels sprouts. I love Brussels sprouts:)
The black garlic.
