A bold Northern dish featuring fire-roasted wild rice and herb-crusted caribou.
Experience the flavors of the Northern Canadian wilderness with this exquisite dish featuring seared caribou medallions atop a bed of wild rice pilaf, complemented by a fire-roasted sweetgrass butter. The dish is elegantly adorned with a black currant and Labrador tea reduction, adding a touch of acidity that beautifully contrasts the richness of the meat. Crispy puffed wild rice provides a delightful crunch, while blistered saskatoon berries and charred cedar-roasted carrots add vibrant color and a hint of sweetness. This meal is a culinary journey that encapsulates the essence of Canada’s wild landscape.
Prompt Engineering
Here’s the Prompt we used to create these beautiful images:
Capture a rustic yet elegant plated shot of a pan-seared caribou loin, its deep crimson center glistening beneath a drizzle of smoked juniper and fireweed honey reduction. The dish rests on a bed of fire-roasted Manitoba wild rice, infused with spruce tip butter and toasted hazelnuts. Crisped cattail hearts add a delicate crunch, while a charred birch plank underneath enhances the Northern aesthetic. Shoot with a 50mm or 85mm lens at f/4.5 to emphasize the caribou’s texture while softly blurring the forest-inspired elements in the background. Side lighting from the left creates dramatic shadows, bringing out the rich hues of the reduction. In the background, a smudging dish with burning sage and a carved antler-handled knife add an atmospheric touch, grounding the composition in Indigenous culinary tradition.
The Recipe and Ingredients
- For the Caribou Medallions:
- 4 caribou medallions (about 6 oz each)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- For the Wild Rice Pilaf:
- 1 cup wild rice
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fire-roasted sweetgrass butter
- Salt to taste
- For the Black Currant and Labrador Tea Reduction:
- 1 cup black currant juice
- 1 tablespoon dried Labrador tea leaves
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- For the Garnish:
- 1/2 cup puffed wild rice
- 1 cup saskatoon berries, blistered on a skewer
- 2 medium carrots, cut into long strips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for carrots)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation Instructions
1. Begin by preparing the wild rice pilaf. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of fire-roasted sweetgrass butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing until translucent.
2. Rinse the wild rice under cold water, then add it to the saucepan, stirring to coat the grains. Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the rice is tender and the grains have split open. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and set aside.
3. For the black currant and Labrador tea reduction, combine the black currant juice, dried Labrador tea leaves, honey, and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
4. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Season the caribou medallions with salt, pepper, and chopped thyme. Sear the medallions for about 4-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare, adjusting time as necessary for desired doneness. Remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes.
5. While the meat is resting, prepare the charred cedar-roasted carrots. Toss the carrot strips with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill or roast until caramelized and tender, about 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally.
6. To assemble the dish, create a bed of wild rice pilaf on each plate. Slice the rested caribou medallions and arrange them on top. Drizzle the black currant and Labrador tea reduction artistically around the plate. Sprinkle the crispy puffed wild rice over the dish for added texture. Add the blistered saskatoon berries on a skewer alongside the plate, and arrange the charred carrots around the edges.
7. Serve immediately, and enjoy the rich flavors and textures of this truly Northern Canadian dish.
About Our 2025 Winter Proggram
As part of our Come Eat With Me Manitoba recipe series, this challenge is not just about creating stunning food imagery—it’s about exploring the broader landscape of digital literacy, media arts and how generative AI tools are shaping the future of creativity. Engaging with AI to craft these images, artists develop a deeper understanding of AI-assisted design, digital media, and visual storytelling. This exploration fosters critical skills in creative problem-solving, prompt crafting, and mastering new technology, empowering artists to push the boundaries of their craft while enhancing their digital fluency. Through this process, we’re not only creating art but also learning to navigate the evolving intersection of technology and creativity. Our 2025 Winter and Fall program activities are supported by the OpenAI Researcher Access Program and the Manitoba Arts Council.