Harvesting a large bird has the benefit of a fair amount of wild protein to fuel the dinner table, and while you may have lots of recipes for the breast meat, I’d like to propose one that uses any and almost every part of your hard-earned wild turkey meat, including the breast meat, thigh, wings, and even the drumstick if you have a bit of time and a sharp filet knife.
Instead of calling for take-out, use the wild turkey you have harvested and make this Asian-inspired dish.
An everyday meal harvested from nature’s pantry and celebrated in the home kitchen.
Instead of calling for take-out, use the wild turkey you have harvested and make this Asian-inspired dish from Tim Kraskey's cookbook. He suggests serving it on a bed of white or brown rice, and notes that the infusion of flavor and spice in the dish pairs well with a German-style sweet white wine, such as a Riesling.
You can easily incorporate venison into your breakfast with this recipe by Ryan Lisson. Whether you serve them on an English muffin or bagel, or alongside some fried eggs, you’ll definitely enjoy these.
When it comes to your pheasant harvest, the possibilities are endless in terms of preparation, but one of our favorite ways to prepare pheasant is our take on pheasant fricassee. The flavors are rich and hearty, and it leaves everyone satisfied.
A rich, elegant soup with lots of garlic, lots of intensity in the sun-dried tomatoes, and lots of cream to keep you warm. What more could you want? Ah, yes, the traditional Italian culinary tang of fennel and your venison.
To many readers these days, moose might be a bit of an exotic wild game meat. With few exceptions, it can be tough to come by. Like venison, moose is a very lean meat – in fact, it’s one of the leanest meats out there. To make the meatballs juicier and improve the texture, Taste of the Wild contributor, Ryan Lisson, shares some tips.
With many young hunters getting their hunting foundation rooted in small game hunting, and the deer hunting season coming to a close, this is the perfect time of year to consider your options for squirrel hunting. This recipe contributed by Jeff Benda of Harvesting Nature gives you a tasty excuse to hit the woods in search of this often under-rated wild game meat.
Start with a slow cooker, add a good dose of bacon, a bottle of brown ale or two, mingled together with hearty venison and potatoes, and you have the perfect combination to warm you up on a chilly day with this recipe from Eileen Clarke's latest cookbook: The Wild Bowl.
A recipe like this transforms ordinary into extraordinary, with a complex combination of rich chocolate and oak from dark red wine, the umami smoothness of shiitake mushrooms, and a friendly bite from hot paprika and crushed black pepper. A dressing of cream sauce completes the dish, checking the pinch of pepper with cool perfection.
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…
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.
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