Preservation Recipes

Pickled Fiddleheads

Catching the ephemeral fiddlehead is a tricky business, and I find that pickling them is a great way of preserving this zephyr of spring. This is an old-style brine pickle, lacto-fermented with no vinegar.

Charcuterie

Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast

Wild turkey meat can get dry if you don't do things just right. But a long brine and a cool smoke does wonders for the breast meat. Trussing improves things even more, and the result is a primo sandwich meat for your lunches!

Recipe

Wild Mushroom Pierogi

Who doesn't love pierogi? I mean really. Little pockets of goodness, boiled briefly then fried and served with caramelized onions, sour cream and dill? Heaven on a plate. I made these with wild mushrooms, but any mushroom will do.

Charcuterie

Honey-Glazed Smoked Ham

It's tough to cure a whole ham on a wild pig: You'd need to scald and scrape it in the field, and that ain't happening. But you can make a traditional Easter ham with a skinless piece! Here's my version, smoked and glazed with honey.

Charcuterie

Fromage de Tete

Fromage de tete. Coppa di testa. Presskopf. Brawn. Anything but "head cheese." Only that's what this is. This is the head of a wild boar I shot, cooked and pressed into a terrine pan. It's actually damn good. No, really.

Asian

Pork Stir-Fry with Asparagus

After my pig hunt on Monday, I've spent the past few days butchering, curing, making stock and such. When it came time for dinner, all I wanted was something simple and easy. Stir fry hit the spot.

Pheasant, Grouse, Quail

Simple Roast Pheasant

A recipe for simple roast pheasant that uses an easy brine and a hot oven to get perfectly done legs while keeping the breast moist and juicy.

French

Classic Sauce au Poivre

Steak au poivre, a/k/a pepper steak, is a French classic. Normally done with beef, this method works great for any red meat, from venison to duck or goose. I use specklebelly goose breasts here.

Wild Game

Squirrel Stew with Paprika and Greens

I first made this stew for my friends Joe and Dorrie in Ohio, last season. I called it Portuguese squirrel stew at the time, but I really have no idea whether this qualifies as Portuguese. All I know is that it's damn good.

Fish

Smoked Sturgeon

It's sturgeon time here in the West, and whether you catch your own or buy farm-raised fish, smoked sturgeon is one of the great smoked fish of the world. Here's how I make it.

Charcuterie

Sweet Italian Sausage

Why it's taken me years to post a recipe for sweet Italian sausage is beyond me. I make this sausage all the time, too. Maybe it's just because I thought it too basic for HAGC? Whatever. Here it is, my version of the classic Italian favorite.

Ducks and Geese

Classic Salmis of Duck

This is a venerable dish, one of the great classics of French cuisine. Napoleon could have eaten this, as could Victor Hugo, Camus or Charles de Gaulle. Escoffier certainly ate salmis, and my recipe is based on his.