THE EVERYTHING WILD GAME COOKBOOK
From fowl and fish to rabbit and venison 300 recipes for home-cooked meals
Karen Eagle
Copyright 2006, F+W Publications, Inc.
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ISBN: 1-59337-545-X
ISBN: 978-1-60550-329-5 (EPUB)
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J I H G F E D C B A
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Eagle, Karen.
The everything wild game cookbook / Karen Eagle.
p. cm. (The Everything series)
ISBN 1-59337-545-X
ISBN: 978-1-60550-329-5 (EPUB)
1. Cookery (Game) I. Title. II. Series.
TX751.E25 2006
641.691 dc22
2006013595
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Wild Game Cookbook
Dear Reader,
Inviting friends and family to a table of beautifully prepared wild game is the height of gourmet for many. And it should be. The effort put into hunting should equally be put into the cooking of wild game. When it is, the hunter and cook and companions at the dinner table all receive their just rewards.
The recipes in this book are written for wild game, not the domesticated varieties. Though domestic game may be substituted in many of the recipes, the cooking times may vary. The taste will also change because wild game feeds on flora and fauna in the wild, and compared to grain-fed game, it is richer and more unusual exactly as we wild game connoisseurs want it to be.
My wish for you, whether you are a hunter or the recipient of wild game, is that you will find many splendid recipes in this book to add to your repertoire.
This book could not have been possible without the hunter in my life, my husband, Dick.
Acknowledgments
There are many hunters and wild game cooks in our circle of friends, who have shared cooking techniques and offered oral or written recipes while visiting on the phone, in person, in the field, or on a river or stream: Judith Fertig, Jimmy Donnici, Brian Young, Don and Janet Coffey, Bob and Nancy Hatch, LueAnn and Alvin Roepke, Anne and Al Saroni, and Dane and Susie Herbal. For my first meal of smothered quail, I thank my mother, Denise (the cook), and my late father, Bob Conde (the hunter). And for our freezer full of game at home, I thank my husband Dick, the ultimate outdoorsman.
Introduction
Hunters and game cookers everywhere, welcome to The Everything Wild Game Cookbook. Just like the title says, the recipes within these pages are designed for wild game. It's the leaner and richer-flavored version of the domesticated poultry, beef, pork, and fish you can purchase from the grocery store. Also included are recipes for sauces, side dishes, and desserts that go with wild game. Some of the sides and desserts have ingredients that may be gathered from the wild: nuts, berries, fruits, and mushrooms, for example.
To begin with, wild game must be properly field dressed and transported to the meat processor in a timely manner. Some hunters butcher their own meat. Most send it out for butchering. Soaking game meat in brine (a mixture of water and salt), milk, or even vinegar can reduce the gaminess, if desired.
Since most game is leaner (there is less fat throughout the meat) than its domesticated counterpart, when this meat is overcooked, it tends to be dry and tough. We recommend cooking good-quality lean wild game to medium-rare for optimum tenderness and juiciness. Cooking to medium doneness is acceptable, too. Medium-well and well done are best saved for braising wild game, when it's immersed in a liquid that helps to keep it moist while cooking.
Game can be grilled, braised, broiled, baked, smoked, roasted, spit-cooked, pan sauted, and fried. Tender boneless and skinless breasts of duck, turkey, goose, grouse, and other birds are delicious when licked with a hot flame. They may be wrapped with a slice of bacon or prosciutto or basted with butter or olive oil while on the grill. Sear them hot and fast and use a thermometer to test their doneness (135F to 140F for medium-rare).
Big-game steaks are also very lean. Most of the gaminess in big game comes from the fat, so any excess fat around the edges of a steak are trimmed off. Quick searing over high heat is the ticket here, too. Marinating in or brushing with olive oil and sprinkling seasonings on the steaks yield wonderful results. A half-inch steak will cook in about 4 to 5 minutes over high heat, turning only once.
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