WILD GAME AND FISH

 

PARTRIDGE CASSEROLE

6 partridge

12 slices of bacon
6 slices of cooked ham
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup beef stock
2 1/4 cup orange juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.

Clean, wash, stuff, and truss partridge. Cover breasts with bacon slices. Line casserole with ham slices. Arrange birds in casserole, then cover. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove cover to pour brandy over birds. Cover again and bake for 20 minutes at 400F. Remove birds and ham. Skim off fat, then strain pan juices. Gradually add butter and beef stock to juices, stirring constantly while bringing them to a boil. Add orange juice, salt, and pepper. Return birds and ham to sauce, then serve.

WILD GOOSE CHASE

1 cup dried apricots, halved
2 cups dried prunes, halved
1/2 cup Madeira wine
1 goose (12 pounds)
juice of 1 orange
2 tart apples
grated zest of 1 orange
salt and pepper to taste
dash paprika
8 slices bacon
1 1/4 cups Wild Goose Sauce (recipe below)
Place apricots and prunes in mixing bowl. Add Madeira. Mix and set aside. Preheat oven to 325F. Rinse goose and pat dry. Prick all over with fork. Rub inside and out with orange juice. Add apples and orange zest to apricots and prunes. Sprinkle goose inside and out with salt, pepper and paprika. Stuff cavity with fruit. Skewer opening closed. Lay bacon slices across breast. Place goose, breast side up, in shallow roasting pan. Roast for 1 1/2 hours, removing accumulated fat every 30 minutes. Remove bacon and roast for 1 hour more, removing fat after 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.
Make sauce:
pan drippings from roasted goose
2 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup Madeira wine
1 tbsp. peppercorns, slightly crushed
1 tsp. cornstarch
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Scrape brown pan drippings into saucepan. Add green onions, 1/2 cup stock, Madeira and peppercorns. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup stock until smooth. Slowly drizzle into sauce, stirring rapidly. Add salt and pepper. Stir, simmer 5 minutes. Serve over goose.

VENISON SIRLOIN

3 pieces of 2 oz. venison medallions
1 oz. clarified butter or oil
1 tbsp. chopped shallots
1 teas. chopped parsley
1 teas. chopped thyme
1 teas. chopped tarragon
4 oz. sliced wild mushrooms
2 tbsp. grained mustard
4 oz. heavy cream
2 oz. cognac
flour for dusting
salt & pepper to taste
In hot pan add butter. Dredge medallions in flour. Saute quickly. Take out of pan and add shallots and herbs. Saute. Add mushrooms and flambe with cognac. Add heavy cream and reduce until desired thickness. Wisk in mustard. Add seasonings and medallions. Serve.

ORIENTAL GLAZED DUCK

1 - 5 pound duck, rinsed, patted dry
2 lemons, halved
salt and ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup liquid honey
1/4 cup corn oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. rosemary
2 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish
Preheat oven to 400F. Rub the duck inside and out with juice of 1 lemon. Pat dry. Prick skin with fork. Sprinkle inside and outside with salt and pepper. Place second lemon in cavity. Place duck,
breast side up on rack in shallow roasting pan. Bake for 30 minutes. While duck is roasting, make glaze. Combine soy sauce, ketchup, honey, oil, garlic and rosemary in small mixing bowl. Mix well. Reduce oven temperature to 350F. Pour off fat. Pour glaze over duck. Baste frequently and cook 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove duck from oven. Let stand 15 minutes. Skim off fat from roasting pan. Reheat glaze, pour over duck and garnish with green onions.

RABBIT IN TARRAGON SAUCE

2 rabbits, cut into serving pieces
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, peeled and chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
Flour
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 cup sherry
2 teaspoons tarragon
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup parsley, minced
Season rabbit with salt and pepper. Place olive oil in skillet and brown rabbit. Remove meat and drain on paper towel. Add onion, carrot and celery to skillet. Saute 5 minutes. Stir in enough flour to make a paste. Blend in broth, sherry and tarragon. Return rabbit to skillet. Bring sauce to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Baste meat frequently for 45-60 minutes. Remove rabbit to serving platter and keep warm in oven. Strain and degrease sauce, discarding vegetables. Return remaining sauce to skillet and add cream. Simmer until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add mustard and parsley. Pour sauce over rabbit and serve.

CRAWDAD GUMBO

1 pound crawdads, cooked & cleaned
8 oz. salt pork, cubed small
1/2 pound fresh (preferred) or frozen okra
1 medium brown onion
1 can whole tomatoes
8 oz. frozen corn
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pint half & half
2 cups water
salt to taste
pepper to taste
In a large skillet, fry salt pork until browned. Add onion, cook until tender, stirring often. Add water, okra, corn, tomatoes, and all seasonings, simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add half & half, and
crawdads, simmer for 10 minutes.

OSTRICH AND SHRIMP IN ROASTED GARLIC SAUCE

8 jumbo shrimp
12 pieces of ostrich, sliced medallion size and then pounded
into scaloppini
15-20 medium sized whole garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 bottle of dry white wine (preferably Chardonnay)
1 1/2 pints of heavy whipping cream
1 medium sized red onion, finely chopped
1/2 stick lightly salted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup chicken stock
Prepare ostrich and set aside. Place garlic cloves in the oven at 400F and bake until soft and brown (about 10-15 minutes). In sauce pot, melt butter and saute onion until onion is fully cooked (about 5 minutes). Add wine and allow to cook until dry over medium heat. When mixture has evaporated back down, add roasted garlic and puree. Place back on heat and slowly add cream, salt and pepper. Bring to slight boil and set aside. In separate pan, heat olive oil add ostrich, sear on both sides and set aside. Add shrimp and chicken stock to oil; saute until
cooked. Add ostrich and sauce.

FRIED ROCKY MOUNTAIN OYSTERS

2 pounds bull or sheep testicles
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup red wine
salt
black pepper
garlic powder
Louisiana Hot Sauce
pure hog lard or vegetable oil
With a very sharp knife, split the tough skin-like muscle that surrounds each "oyster." Remove the skin. Set "oysters" into a pan with enough salt water to cover them for one hour (this takes out some of the blood). Drain. Transfer "oysters" to large pot. Add enough water to float "oysters" and a generous tablespoon of vinegar. Parboil, drain and rinse. Let cool and slice each "oyster" into 1/4 inch thick ovals. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of sliced "oyster" to taste. Mix flour, cornmeal and some garlic powder to taste in a bowl. Roll each "oyster" slice into this dry mixture. Dip into milk. Dip into dry mixture. Dip into wine quicky (you may repeat the procedure if a thicker crust is desired). Place each "oyster" into hot lard or oil. Add Louisiana Hot Sauce to lard or oil (go wild with it, but watch out for hot splashes). Cook until golden brown or tender, and remove with a wire mesh strainer (the longer they cook, the tougher they get).

BLACKENED SALMON

6 Salmon Fillets, 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick, skinned
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon dried thyme (do not use fresh - it will burn)
Lemon wedges and Parsley for garnish
Trim off the thin edges of fillets as these would burn. Pat dry and refrigerate until ready to cook. The butter sauce adheres better to cold fillets. In heavy 3-quart cast-iron frying pan over medium heat, melt butter, add lemon juice, cayenne, salt, black pepper and thyme. Stir to blend; cool to lukewarm. Place an empty 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until bottom has a definite white haze and begins to smoke slightly. Remove fish from refrigerator; dip 1 fillet in warm butter sauce, coating well. Place fish in hot skillet, taking care that spits and spatters do not burn you. Fish will sear and cook almost immediately. Turn fillet over; blacken other side. Repeat with remaining fillets. Reserve remaining butter sauce. As fillets are cooked, place them on individual plates; keep warm. Discard accumulated butter sauce in skillet and charred bits between batches. When all fillets have been cooked, wipe skillet clean and place empty skillet back on heat. Add reserved butter sauce; carefully swirl skillet 5 or 6 times to blacken butter. Remove pan from heat; drizzle butter over each fillet. Garnish and serve hot.

LEMON-CORIANDER GAME HENS

2 Cornish game hens (1 1/2 pounds each), halved
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 green onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, pressed
Rub game hens with coriander and turmeric. Set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in medium baking dish. Add game hens to marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours
or overnight. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Remove game hens from marinade. Season game hens with salt and pepper. Grill or broil until cooked through, turning and basting occasionally with marinade, 25 minutes.