Editors of Adams Media - The 50 Best Wild Game Recipes. Tasty, Fresh, and Easy to Make!

Avon, Massachusetts

As any hunter knows, only careful planning and execution ensures success. Yet, successful hunting is not limited to just the catch, but also the at-home preparation. A dry duck is still a dry duck, whether purchased at the local grocery store or successfully hunted. Therefore, shouldnt your recipes reflect the same careful preparation as the initial hunt?

Here are fifty recipes that will satisfy your family and tantalize guests while accentuating the unique tastes of wild game. Whatever you bring home, from lean venison to flavorful wild turkey, and from fresh deep-water fish to close-to-home squirrel, youll find creative and delicious ways to cook it.

Weve collected the fifty best wild game recipes, ranging from comfort food, like Smoky, Spicy Meatballs in Barbecue Sauce to the more upscale Venison Burgundy. And because no meal is complete with accompanying sides and desserts, The 50 Best Wild Game Recipes includes recipes like buttermilk biscuits, seasoned wild rice, and gingersnap ice cream perfect complements to your beautifully prepared main course.

Youve worked hard to ensure only the freshest of food is at your familys table, make sure to choose recipes that make your efforts worthwhile!

Catfish with Chunky Salsa

Celebrate the flavor of your freshly caught catfish with this tasty alternative to frying. The piquant salsa is a nice finishing touch.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 pounds catfish fillets

1 lemon

Salt and white pepper to taste

23 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup store-bought salsa

1 tomato, chopped

1 ear of sweet corn, fresh-picked

cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat your oven broiler to high.

2. Rinse the catfish fillets and pat dry. Squeeze lemon juice over the fillets and sprinkle with salt and white pepper.

3. Lightly oil a broiler pan and place the fillets on it. Drizzle lightly with the olive oil. Place under the broiler and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick the fillets are.

4. In the meantime, combine the salsa, tomato, corn kernels, and cilantro in a bowl and mix well. Serve catfish with a dollop of salsa.

Wild Catfish

It goes without saying that the best-tasting catfish is going to come from clean streams and lakes. Because they are bottom feeders, the meat may taste muddy. Its best to fish for catfish before the water temperature gets too warm. When cleaning the fish, remove any of the meat that has blood in it, keeping only the firm white flesh.

Baked Shad

In Latin, the word shad means most delicious. The American Indians taught English settlers to cook the fish by placing it on cedar planks and roasting slowly to dissolve the many bones. The slow-cook method is also employed here.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 (3- to 4-pound) whole shad, cleaned

2 tablespoons olive oil

teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

cup toasted pine nuts, divided

4 green onions

1 lemon, halved

cup white wine

1. Preheat oven to 250F. Lightly grease a deep disposable aluminum pan large enough to hold the shad.

2. Lightly coat shad with olive oil. Salt and pepper inside and out. Place 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts and the whole green onions in the cavity of the fish. Set in pan. Sprinkle pine nuts on top. Squeeze the juice of a whole lemon over the fish. Pour the white wine into the pan. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil.

3. Bake in the oven for 5 hours. Serve with wine sauce spooned over each serving.

Smoked Shad

Following the preparation of the recipe above, the foil-encased shad could also be placed on a smoker at 225F. Cook for 1 hour with the foil open so that the wood smoke can penetrate. Tightly close the foil and cook for another 4 to 5 hours.

Fish Cakes with Mustard Sauce

Heres a great recipe to make use of all the leftover fish you catch and cook up the night before. You dont want anything to go to waste, do you?

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound cooked fish

2 cups seasoned mashed potatoes

23 tablespoons milk or cream (optional)

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

teaspoon pepper

cup olive oil or more

24 tablespoons butter

1 cup sour cream

cup German-style grainy mustard

4 ounces arugula, cleaned and dried

1. Place cooked fish in a bowl. Using a fork, lightly shred the fish into small chunks. Add the mashed potatoes and stir to mix. If needed, add a little milk or cream to moisten. Make 8 equal-sized fish cakes from the mixture and set aside.

2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.

3. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Combine the sour cream and grainy mustard in a bowl and set aside.

5. Saut 4 fish cakes at a time until light golden brown on each side, turning only once. Place on a warm plate and cover to keep warm. Cook the remaining 4 cakes, adding more oil and butter if necessary.

6. Place 1 ounce of arugula on each plate; top with 2 fish cakes. Spoon 1 or 2 tablespoons of the Mustard Cream Sauce on the fish cakes and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Bitter Greens

Europeans have had a love affair with bitter greens for years. Americans have caught on and use arugula and radicchio quite often. If the bitterness is too much for your palate, mix bitter greens with leafy green lettuces to soften the bite.

Barbecued Trout and Vegetables

Keeping the skin on the trout when you cook it helps to seal in the juices of the fresh fish. This preparation lets the flavor of the trout rainbow, brown, or cutthroat shine.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 (12-ounce) whole trout, cleaned

2 lemons, sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and slivered

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and slivered

1 red onion, peeled and slivered

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare a hot fire in your grill or preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Lightly oil four pieces of aluminum foil and place 1 trout on each. Place several slices of lemon in the cavity of each fish. Distribute the vegetables evenly over the trout and sprinkle teaspoon of the rosemary across the tops.

3. Whisk together the white wine and mustard. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons over each trout. Season with salt and pepper to taste and tightly wrap the foil around the fish. Grill or bake the foil packets for about 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Place a packet on each of four dinner plates. Diners should be cautioned to open their packets carefully, as there will be a burst of hot steam.