Wiener Schnitzel
Wiener schnitzel goes by many names, but whatever you call it, this is a bedrock recipe you need to know as a cook, whether you work with wild game or not. It’s quick comfort food that can be made with an array of meats, ranging from pheasant and wild boar to veal, pork or chicken.
Venison Backstrap with Cumberland Sauce
If there is one sauce you need to know as a wild game cook, it is Cumberland sauce. Savory, rich and a little sweet, it is a classic sauce for venison, duck, goose or any dark game meat. Learn this sauce by heart and you’ll never go wrong.
Classic Hasenpfeffer with Semolina Dumplings
Hasenpfeffer. It is an iconic German dish that few have ever eaten in the traditional way. For to be a true hasenpfeffer, you need a “hase,” or hare. And while it’s still good with rabbit, don’t skip the semolina dumplings or you’ll be sad.
Lake Erie Perch Chowder
There is no freshwater fish I’d rather eat than a yellow perch, and I recently got a chance to fish for them in Lake Erie, near Cleveland. It was a blast, and to celebrate the Rust Belt city’s heritage, I made a Polish-style perch chowder with kielbasa, sour cream and dill.
German Bacon
Germans eat a lot of smoked meats, including bacon. But I failed to find “authentic” German bacon recipes, so I made up my own. This bacon turned out so well it made me want to dance around in a dirndl. OK, maybe not. But it is damn good.
German Rabbit Stew
No, this is not hasenpfeffer. This stew, which comes from Swabia in Southern Germany, is much lighter — almost summery — and is a great way to usher in cooler nights — and rabbit season.
Salmon Tartare
I always order salmon at sushi restaurants, but I am no sushi master so at home I stick to easier preparations, like salmon tartare, which, if you’ve never heard of it, is chopped raw salmon. My version has a Northern European flair to it, with dill and a special pumpkinseed oil the Austrians use a lot.
Crawfish Salad, Scandinavian Style
If there is a group that eats more crayfish than the Louisianans, it’s the Scandinavians. August is all about crayfish (or crawfish or crawdads) in Sweden and Finland, and this light salad is perfect for long summer evenings.
Wild Greens Colcannon
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here is my take on an Irish classic: Colcannon, basically mashed potatoes with green things. In this case, the green thing is cow parsnip.
Venison Medallions with Gin and Juniper
This was one of the first venison recipes I ever made, and it’s still one of the best, as the flavors of gin, juniper and venison are meant for each other.
