This Months Recipes:
Here's another way to make your Wild Game taste GREAT!
A little thought provoking excerpt from Ernest Hemingway's " Fathers and Sons" in Winner take Nothing 1987.
" His father came to him in the fall of the year, or in the early spring where there had been jacksnipe on the prairie, or when he saw shocks of corn, or when he say a lake, of when- ever he saw a horse and buggy, or when he saw or heard wild geese, or in a duck blind; or remembering the time an eagle dropped through the whirling snow to strike a canvas covered decoy, rising, his wings beating, stealth talons caught in the canvas. His father was with him suddenly, in deserted orchards and in new-plowed fields, in thickets on small hills, or when going through dead grass, whenever splitting wood or hauling water by grist mills, cider mills and dams, and always with open fires."
I always loved that little excerpt. So with that in mind lets get busy with some wild fowls recipes. It is that time of year and a good time to get those hunting clothes and shotguns out and ready to use.
| 12 doves | 1/2 cup sherry |
| 2- ( 4 oz cans mushrooms) Us fresh if you want | 7 Tbls. sweet creamy butter |
| 1/4 cup parsley ( fresh is preferred) if not use dry | 3 1/2 Tbls. flour |
| 2 cups chicken broth ( low sodium is best) | Add pepper during final stages ( to taste) |
Melt butter in heavy skillet till just melted. Brown the doves, do not overcrowd the skillet and cook slowly, you don't want to toughen the meat by cooking to fast. Remove the doves, and add the flour to the skillet.. Stir well till it gets a little color. Now add the broth and the sherry. Cook till it it thickens slightly. Add salt if you like and pepper to taste. ( I love pepper). Place the doves in a two quart casserole, pour the sauce overall, and then add you mushrooms and parsley. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. If you can get some wild rice, then by all means serve it with this dish. Or even better, serve with a combination white and wild rice.
| 1 Mallard | 1 Tbls. cornstarch |
| 1/4 cup oil ( olive is the best) | 1 Tbls. grated orange rind |
| 4 slices bacon | 1 cup orange juice |
| 1/3 cup brown sugar | 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper |
| 1/2 cup granulated sugar | 1 Tbls. orange liqueur |
| 1 cup burgundy wine |
Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Brown the bird on all sides. Cover the breast with the strips of bacon. Pour the wine over the duck. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Once in while, uncover and baste the duck with the pan juices, and turning a few times within the one hour. Meanwhile combine the sugars, and cornstarch in a pan. Add the orange rind, the orange juice, salt and the pepper. Simmer till it thickens. Add the orange liqueur and keep stirring for a few more minutes. When you serve the duck, pour the sauce over to evenly coat the finished product. It is really delicious.
| 1 wild goose | Juice of 1 lemon |
| salt and pepper | 1/2 cup butter ( melted) |
| 1/3 cup chopped onion | 1 cup chopped apple ( granny smith is best) |
| 1 cup chopped dried apricots | 3 cups soft bread crumbs |
| 1/2 tsp. salt | 1/4 tsp. pepper |
| Melted shortening | 6 slices of bacon |
| Cheesecloth | 1 egg |
After cleaning your goose, rub the inside and outside of the goose with with the lemon juice and seasonings. To make the stuffing melt the butter and saute the onion until translucent. Take the apples and apricots, soft bread crumbs, the egg, a little salt and a nice portion of pepper and stuff the goose cavity lightly. Do not pack the stuffing in to tightly, you want to leave room for the expansion of the stuffing. Close the gooses' cavity with skewers or sew it with a poultry needle and string. Take a good sized piece of cheesecloth and soak it in some melted shortening or lard. Place the goose in a roasting pan on a rack in a 325 degree oven, breast side up. Place bacon over the the top of the breast. Allow 25 minutes per lb, until tender. Periodically, baste the goose with the pan drippings. A good rule of thumb is , if the goose looks a little tough or dry, add some water to the pan and drippings and cover for up to an hour during the last stages of the time required. When done, remove the cheesecloth and remove stuffing immediately.
I hope you have enjoyed these recipes, take care and stay safe. See you next month.
(Elizabeth Wiesemann is part owner of Pleasant Mtn. Guide Service based at ChaMaCha Lodge in Denmark, Maine. She is a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, writes for 2 outdoor publications and 6 outdoor web sites. She will be hosting the first Women in the Outdoors event in Maine, next June. The National Wild Turkey Federations women's organization. You can email her with questions at her email address pmgspmt@nh.adelphia.net or www.mainelodges.com. )
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.
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