A versatile recipe for transforming your freshwater fish using instant mashed potato flakes as a crispy coating. Try them in fish tacos, or with roasted potatoes and a side salad as Chef Jeff Benda did in this presentation.
With bow season still available for deer hunters to take advantage of the chance to put some meat in the freezer this season, we wanted to share this recipe for preserving organ meat using the canning process.
When you grind most of your venison into ground burger meat, there are endless possibilities of meals to make. This easy go-to recipe for a savory rice bowl was share by Wisconsin hunter, Sarah Kozlowski.
Most people tend to think of a woodcock as an appetizer – they’re not very big birds, after all. But when you prepare the breasts and legs, two woodcock make a hearty meal. The breast meat is very dark, while the legs are light and delicate. It might look off-putting to some, but leaving the feet and legs attached provides a convenient handle to grip while cooking and eating. If you had the patience to pluck the whole bird, this method of preparation would also work great.
Chef and author of several wild game cookbooks, Eileen Clarke, shares her thoughts on this “convenience food” option for wild game enthusiasts. I love quesadillas, but they’re hard to eat in a blind—or pickup. So, as soon as I saw this folded version, I jumped on it. One, it’s easier to handle: instead of being 10 inches around—and needing both open hands to hold it—it fits easily in one hand. Plus, it’s easier both to get in and out of the pan, and to flip it. Each folded tortilla can be totally different, to suit everyone’s individual tastes.
With some pheasants in the freezer, my wife and I decided to braise a few down and pick the meat in order to have some cooked meat on hand for various meals throughout the week. Inspired by a local pizza shop’s specialty pizza and a recent gift containing a handful of different jams and jellies, my wife and I put…
Replace goose breasts for beef in this preparation – which treats the game bird meat just like a steak. Start with a soak in a balsamic vinegar-based marinade for 4 to 8 hours, then grill them on a smoking hot grill until they are perfectly medium-rare. After resting the meat, it can be sliced thinly and served over fresh greens.
When it comes to options for smoking meat, author of several wild game cookbooks – Eileen Clarke, shares that the good old water smoker is still one of her favorite cooking devices. In this recipe, she shares tips on preparing a smoked venison meatloaf that pairs well with potato salad.
The oily nature of Lake Trout fillets make it a perfect vessel for holding smoke. In this recipe by Jamie Carlson as featured in the Outdoor News Taste of the Wild, you combine a dry brine and directions on the ideal cook time for smoking the fish. Lake trout served up with some pickled onions and whole grain mustard is a great snack.
Tacos are a great summer crowd-pleaser because each person can adjust the fixings to suit their taste buds. The simple chimichurri sauce adds a ton of fresh herby flavors and a zing of acidity by itself. But some other great toppings that work with this recipe include grilled onions, pico de gallo, avocado, a good crumbly cheese (e.g., queso fresco, cotija), or corn salsa. It’s the perfect summer meal to use up some of last fall’s venison and impress your friends.
Venison Corn Dogs are perfect as a make-ahead meal and can be frozen after they’re cooked for up to 3 to 6 months. Simply quadruple the recipe, fry them all, then allow them to cool on cooling racks. Once cooled, just place them in freezer bags and bring them out during hunting season to quickly reheat.
He’s best known as a leading authority on culinary uses of mushrooms and plants via his website Forager | Chef: the largest resource on wild mushroom cookery on the web, and Chef Alan Bergo shares his step-by-step recipe with Outdoor News readers for this surprising take on “sesame chicken” using wild mushrooms.
From the pages of Outdoor News, this recipe featured in the Taste of the Wild by contributor, Sarah Kozlowski is a classic recipe for grilling that works for salmon or trout.
Jamie Carlson shared this recipe with the Outdoor News Taste of the Wild, and said to simply use whatever cut of venison you like best. For this version, he used the eye of round that was cut into medallions about 1 ½ inches thick. For the mushrooms, while Jamie said he prefers to use wild hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, he will also use a wild mushroom blend available at the grocery store.
In this recipe that was featured in the Outdoor News Taste of the Wild, chef Jeff Benda introduces us to a perfect light salad to pair with some fresh catfish fillets that pops with color thanks to thinly sliced asparagus spears, and lively citrus profiles thanks to grapefruit and orange slices. Top with sliced radishes and green onions to add springtime flavor to your plate.
With Sous Vide becoming mainstream in the kitchen these days, and the popularity of pellet grills for home chefs to transform their harvest, you’ll find this recipe for Wild Turkey Tikka Masala packs a ton of flavor by combining those processes together with a sauce with flavor that is over the top. Serve your prepared turkey on a bed of basmati rice with a side of warm pita bread and enjoy!
Alan Bergo – a contributor to the Outdoor News Taste of the Wild Chef Alan Bergo is a Midwestern native. After 10 years working under chefs from Italy, he was sous chef to Chef Lenny Russo at St. Paul, Minnesota’s 7-time James Beard nominee restaurant Heartland, executive chef of the Salt Cellar, and finally, chef at farm to table cornerstone…
When harvesting your ramps:
To begin, loosen the soil with your spoon, trying not to disturb any neighboring ramp roots. Use your knife to cut the stem. Cutting the leaves above the ground reduces soil disturbance and allows the plant to re-sprout. Though the bulbs are thick and delicious, it is recommended by several seasoned foragers that they are best left in the ground as harvesting them can be detrimental to the population; only 5-10% of large patches should be harvested sporadically. Replace any dug-up soil so the remaining plants aren’t susceptible to cold or bugs, etc.
For successful freshwater anglers, baked fish is a tasty option for transforming your catch that often gets overlooked, and if truth be told, it is seriously underrated. Whether you have a bag of panfish, or a few nice walleye fillets, we have a quick, delicious recipe for baking your catch, that you can add to your kitchen arsenal.
This sandwich is simple to make and can be made with pretty much any of our wild game harvested across the Great Lake States. Jamie Carlson said he has made this sandwich with crappies, venison, and grouse But in this version he is using wild turkey. Typically, a wild turkey breast is big enough to make 4-5 sandwiches which is a great way to extend your spring gobbler.
A recipe contributed to the Outdoor News Taste of the Wild by Harvesting Nature’s John Vile, this venison sausage requires basic equipment including a meat grinder, a sausage stuffer and a smoker. John recommends using real hog casings for this sausage, which incorporates ancho chile peppers and spices for sausage smoked over hickory or apple chips.
Jeff Benda is based in North Dakota, where he is an avid outdoorsman and family man. He spent 25 years in the restaurant industry and ran a successful catering business. He now focuses his time home cooking as a creative outlet to transform wild game and bring it into traditional recipes from around the world to help expand people’s perceptions….
Technically, a true Shepherd’s pie is supposed to contain lamb meat, while cottage pie generally uses another meat (e.g., beef). But venison is very lean and similar to lamb in several ways, so I’m stealing the name. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can tweak the ingredients based on your family’s preferences, and it turns out great with nearly any combination (we’ve tried many). You can add or subtract vegetables, mix beef and venison together, and use real mashed potatoes or instant versions – it all works.
This venison recipe is easy to assemble, and is a great comfort food dish for the table. Make a big batch and if there are any leftovers, you’ll find this Venison Spaghetti Pie also reheats well – making it convenient for the approaching spring season when we all want to spend more time outdoors, and less time in the kitchen.
You’ve occasionally seen Tim Kraskey’s recipes for wild game and fish featured in the Outdoor News Taste of the Wild, and now you can purchase his cookbook titled “Red, White and Everything Else”.
Outdoor News contributing chef and author, Jonathan Wipfli, has a new cookbook titled FISH. From water to table, Fish—Wipfli’s follow-up to his earlier cookbook titled Venison— offers a contemporary approach to cooking North America’s most popular freshwater game fish throughout the seasons. Featuring 50 recipes for dishes with accompanying sides, as well as beautifully photographed images of the final presentations, Wipfli’s new cookbook will leave readers determined to recreate their own culinary masterpieces.
Shop our online store for products and gear: Print of the Year, Outdoor News History Book, Outdoor News Clothing and more!
