This Months Recipes:
Partridge ala Granny Smith Wine Baked Pheasant Candied Wild Cranberries
The so called art of cooking wild game, which to some people that includes anything that does not come from a cellophane wrapper, is quite easy and painless. Most of you outdoors people have some experience in cooking what you hunt for, or what you catch. It's not hard. You just have to use your imagination, and don't be afraid to experiment. The one good tip, don't over cook. Wild game has no marbled fat and so thus it can become pretty dried out and tough if your not diligent in watching while you are cooking. Being close to upland game season I thought this would be as good a time as any to give a few pointers on cooking wild birds. They, like the larger wild game, do not have any fat stored except on the outside and when you skin or pluck your birds you basically have nothing but pure meat. With the one exception, geese. They tend to be pretty fatty, and then you want to cook most of that fat away. Here in the Northeast we are pretty fond of our ruffed grouse, and woodcock. In order to have pheasant, you usually have to go to a hunting preserve. But as with some of the other game birds, such as turkey, they are being introduced and now can survive our winters. So lets hope at some point pheasants, and such can come and stay. Well, enough of idle chatter, lets get down to business. I hope you will enjoy some of these time tested recipes and if you have any requests please let the web site know, and they can pass it on to me.
Here's another way to make your Wild Game taste GREAT!
Take as many partridge breasts as you need for one meal,
usually it would take 2 breasts per person.
Take as many Granny Smith apples as breasts, and slice
into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
Take as many onions as apples and slice thinly.
You can use olive oil or butter (nothing else), enough
to coat the bottom of your pan. Usually takes at least 1 teaspoon per breast.
If it doesn't look like enough add a little more.
Slowly sauté the onion until it is transparent, add the
apple slice till they start to get a little soft, then add the partridge
breasts and cook very slowly till the breasts are down. The reason for
cooking slowly, is to ensure that the meat does not dry out, and you want the
flavors to mix together. This is especially good with,
wild rice on the side, and a nice winter squash. Nothing better than
this.
1 pheasant should feed 2 to 3 people.
Cut up into at least 8 serving pieces( just as you would
do a chicken)
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then roll the pieces
in flour to thoroughly coat them.
Brown the pieces in olive oil(6 to 8 tablespoons should
be enough). Until golden.
Sprinkle with garlic and onion powder.
Now put this in a large baking pan
Mix 6 to 8 Tbls. of good tomato sauce, and at least 1/2
cup of good red wine , and pour over the pheasant.
Bake in a very slow oven, 250 degrees, for 2 hours or
more depending on the size of the bird. If you like you can add even
more wine to insure more sauce. That is up to you. The better the
wine the better the flavor, I particularly do not like cooking wines,
they tend to be to bitter. I figure if you enjoy drinking it, then you
will enjoy cooking with it.
How about some Candied Wild Cranberries?
Spread the cranberries in a shallow pan such as a small cookie sheet pan. Mix in pan 2 cups of berries and 1 cup of sugar. Cover with foil, cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour, stirring at least 3 times to insure all is mixed well. When done store in the refrigerator, and serve this with your wild fowl. It does lend a nice taste.
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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