Helping hunters, anglers and foragers make great meals since 2007.
Hank Shaw – Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook
Explore The Site
The Latest Posts
Essays and Stories
Big News, Big Changes
If you haven’t heard, I have moved from California to Minnesota, with all that entails.
Mexican
Huitlacoche Quesadilla
A recipe for huitlacoche quesadillas. Huitlacoche, “corn smut,” is a mushroom that grows on corn, and is amazing cooked with chile and onion on a tortilla.
Mushrooms
Birch Bolete Bonanza
How to identify, harvest and cook the birch bolete, Leccinum scabrum. Birch boletes are edible, but best dried first.
Popular Recipes
Salmon and Trout
How to Smoke Salmon
There are a lot of ways to smoke salmon, but this is the method I’ve perfected over the years. Making perfect smoked salmon requires a little attention, and a lot of time. Here’s how to do it.
Foraging
Harvesting Elderberries
Harvesting elderberries is a rite of summer or early autumn for people all over the United States, Canada and Europe.…
Recipe
The Mechanics of Eating Acorns
Everything you need to know using acorns for food. When to collect, what kind of oaks are best, how to leach out the bitter tannins, how to store the acorns, make acorn flour – and acorn flour pasta.
Appetizers and Snacks
Hank’s Dove Poppers
The Venerable Popper. This little appetizer is a Labor Day tradition — it’s what you do with the first doves of the year, a way to celebrate the return of hunting season.
Hi, I’m Hank Shaw
I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!
Wild Game Recipes
These wild game recipes cover venison, duck, goose, pheasant, rabbit and more.
American Recipes
Brisket Tacos
Brisket tacos are a Texas tradition that extends into Northern Mexico. Chopped, smoked brisket on a flour tortilla with all the fixins.
American Recipes
Green Chile Chicken Soup
A recipe for Southwestern style green chile chicken soup, with roasted green Hatch chiles, white beans, greens and a rich broth.
Recipe
Deep Fried Ribeye Tacos
A recipe for chicharron de ribeye in tacos. I ate these ribeye tacos in Hermosillo, Sonora and just had to recreate them at home with venison.
Mushroom Recipes
Mushrooms are endlessly fascinating in the kitchen, whether they are wild or cultivated. Springtime is when the first edible mushrooms start showing, and morels are the star of the show. Here are some fun and tasty mushroom recipes for your harvest.
Mushrooms
chanterelle sauce
A recipe for a summery chanterelle sauce that works well with fish, poultry, pasta or bread. Chanterelles, cream, corn and roasted garlic.
Mushrooms
Mushroom Fried Rice
A simple, quick and easy recipe for mushroom fried rice. This recipe works with any fresh mushroom, from buttons to morels, and whatever vegetable is in season when you make it.
Recipe
Mushroom Tart
A mushroom tart recipe with an eggy, cheesy filling and a crispy pie dough crust. You can use any sort of mushrooms, and either a pie or tart pan.
Mushrooms
Wild Mushroom Stuffing
A simple wild mushroom stuffing to serve alongside holiday meals. This recipe has wild mushrooms, bacon, onions and a little egg to bind it.
Sweet Things
A selection of recipes for snacks and desserts featuring wild edible plants. You’ll find baked goods, ice creams, cookies and cakes, all using wild nuts and berries.
Mexican
Cucumber Agua Fresca
How to make a cucumber agua fresca with lime and a touch of salt. This is a great hot-weather drink that also uses up cucumbers if you have too many.
Sweet Things
Olive Oil Rosemary Cake
A recipe for an olive oil rosemary cake with pine nuts. This is an Italian cake that isn’t too sweet, and is great with preserved fruit and a little liqueur.
Sweet Things
Pine Nut Cookies
How to make pine nut cookies, pignoli, with American pine nuts — although any kind of pine nut works. These cookies have a touch of rosemary in them and are not too sweet.
