This Months Recipes:
Turkey Cutlets Baked Wild Turkey by Betty Smith
Here's another way to make your Wild Game taste GREAT!
Most of us are all set for turkey season, even though I am in the Northeast and turkey season doesn't start till May, none the less I am still ready. My mind generally works that way, get ready at least a month in advance. Got my targets ready, just got a new shotgun and have to start practicing every day. This is my first ever turkey hunt, so basically I want to be prepared. Sooo that means getting my recipes all set for the preparation and cooking of my turkey. I am confident I will get one so no use in wasting time.
One of the first things you will want to consider when you get your bird, is to determine its age. That's not as hard as you think. Usually upland birds have a short life span, but turkeys can live longer than most. The spurs on a turkeys leg can tell you fairly quickly how old the bird is. The longer and pointed the spurs are, the older the bird. Other upland game birds, usually show age by their plumage, fully colored the older the bird. When plucking, more pin feathers the younger the bird. So see its not as hard as you thought. If you want to age your bird, like the Europeans like to do, then leave the bird (skin and feathers on) in a refrigerator for a few days, the enzymes will break down the tough meat naturally.
Plucking or skinning is a choice you have to make. In the case of the wild turkey, start plucking. You do not want to skin it, leaving the skin on will insure it will stay moist will cooking. On the other hand if you are not roasting it, then by all means skin it, and use in any variety of recipes. I have, because of my husband and sons, cooked wild turkey, it has a much more distinct flavor than turkeys you buy at the supermarket. Much richer and more dense flavor. Try the following recipes and see what you think.
| 1/2 of a wild turkey breast (no skin or bones) | 1 cup milk |
| 1 cup buttermilk | 1/2 tsp. paprika or( 1/4 tsp. cayenne if your brave) |
| 8 Tbls. olive oil | 1 Tbls. chives ( fresh if possible) |
| 3 Tbls. butter | 1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms |
| 1/4 tsp. pepper | 1 1/2 cups flour |
Slice turkey breast into thin slices. As thin as you can. Now place them between waxed paper and gently pound them into at least 1/4 inches thick. Layer slices into baking dish and cover with milk. Leave in dish for 1/2 hour at room temp. Remove turkey and and pour milk into bowl to use later. Mix the flour and spices and add 4 Tbls. to the milk. Set aside. Flour the turkey cutlets with the spiced mixture. Heat 4 Tbls. olive oil in skillet and cook until done each and every turkey cutlet. If you need more olive oil added to skillet , do so. You should not need more than the 8 Tbls.. Keep cutlets warm in the oven while finishing the whole lot. Melt the 3 Tbls. of butter in separate skillet and sauté the mushrooms until done. Now add the milk mixture that has the flour and spices and heat and stir till thickened. Add the chives, just before serving. When serving, pour small amounts of the sauce over the cutlets and keep the rest for serving at the table.
A loyal fan from the outdoor publication that I write for sent this to me a few years ago. And it is definitely worth trying. I did, and it is great.
Baked Wild Turkey by Betty Smith
Marinate your bird overnight in the following mixture
| 1 1/2 cups canola oil | 1/3 cup lemon juice |
| 1/3 cup hot mustard | 6 cloves garlic (sliced) |
| 2 Tbls. rosemary | Black pepper |
Marinate your bird over night and drain thoroughly. place in a roasting pan, and rub salt into the body cavity. Place bacon strips over the legs and breast. Cover and bake at 350 degrees @ 20 minutes per pound. Bake till the internal temp. is at least 185 degrees. You can't beat this one.
The taste of cranberries is great with this next recipe.
| 1 pkg. stuffing mix ( I use stove top) | 1/2 cup cranberry juice |
| 1/2 cup cranberry sauce | 1/2 turkey breast |
| 5 Tbls. flour salt and pepper | 1/2 cup whole cranberry sauce |
| 5 Tbls. cranberry juice | 4-5 tbls. olive oil |
Mix stuffing mix and cranberry juice and cranberry sauce . Let set until juice is all absorbed. Add more juice if it seems to dry. Slice breast meat into thin slices and then gently pound them till they are 1/4 inch thick. Season flour with salt and pepper and coat the turkey slices on only one side. Lay out the slices and put stuffing on unfloured side. Roll up or fold the slices till the stuffing is completely covered. You may have to use toothpicks to hold the rolls together. Heat olive oil in skillet and cook the turkey rolls and turn them very gently until they are golden brown. Now cover the skillet and cook gently for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Mix the 1/2 cup whole cranberry sauce and cranberry juice and heat. When serving the turkey rolls, pour a lilttle of the sauce over the tops. This is a wonderful, tasty use of wild turkey.
Hope you all enjoy, these recipes
Here's another way to make your Wild Game taste GREAT!
Liz Wiesemann (Aiming and Angling Recipes)
co-owner of Pleasant Mountain Guide Service and ChaMaCha Lodge, located in Denmark, Maine. Member of
the New England Outdoor Writers Assoc., also columnist for the Northwoods
Sporting Journal, and other sites.
Back To SmartHunter.com Back to DeerSmart.com Back To SmartFisherman.com