reindeer burgers with red wine sauce

The red wine sauce: stew the chopped garlic, celery, onion and carrot in some butter. Add fresh thyme, bay leaf and parsley. Pour in the veal stock and red wine. Leave to cook for around 20 minutes under a lid and strain. Boil the strained sauce further. Season to taste with a few turns of the pepper mill, a dash of old balsamic vinegar and a shot glass of Stroh rum. Thicken the sauce if desired. Fry the bacon and leave it to drain. Fry the pearl onions and caramelise them with a pinch of sugar. Drain and add to the crispy bacon. Make cauliflower galettes: steam cauliflower florets until tender and use the hand blender. Mix the mashed cauliflower with an egg and a few spoonfuls of breadcrumbs. Season with pepper, salt and nutmeg. Knead and if necessary add some more flour until you have a dry dough. Divide into portions, roll into balls, press flat and fry in a pan with olive oil. Cut pears into round slices. Fry them in some butter and dust with cinnamon powder and cassonade.

The reindeer burgers: Choose high-quality reindeer steaks and put them through a meat grinder. Season with pepper, salt, ground cloves, cinnamon powder, juniper berries crushed in a mortar and dried parsley. Divide the minced meat into equal portions and shape them into hamburgers. Fry them in oil or butter until no more blood comes out when you prick them. Let them rest, covered. On the dinner plate: a reindeer burger topped with a spoonful of sauce. Next to it the mixture with the bacon and onions, a gallon and a slice of pear.