'Tis the season — the holiday season and the peak of bird hunting season — a great time to take a walk on the wild side and bring the fall bounty of game to the family table.
Wild game birds make an interesting and savory addition to a holiday menu. Although hunting regulations vary from location to location, it is safe to say that fall is prime hunting season and choices through the holidays should be plentiful — duck, goose, turkey, quail and dove to name a few.
Game hunting and cooking are getting some positive attention on many fronts, from cooking shows to celebrity chefs. Wild game embodies a “locavore” philosophy embraced by the culinary world — it is local, organic and free range. It also happens to be lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than most other meat, and high in protein, iron and vitamin B.
Anne Kirkmyer, Irvington native, cookbook author and globetrotting chef, routinely includes a wild game menu on her list of dinner offerings. Kirkmyer grew up with hunters in her family and wild game of all sorts on the family table. After a career traveling the world as a freelance chef, and continuing culinary education in Paris and throughout Europe, Kirkmyer finally returned home for a time to pursue her passion of showcasing iconic local food and offering unique dining experiences as executive chef at the Hope and Glory Inn in Irvington. Today, she continues to travel the nation and sail the Caribbean as a professional chef, offering her expertise and collecting recipes for her next cookbook.
She recommends wild game for its richness of flavor. “It’s a mature, sophisticated taste,” she noted, “for an adventurous palate ... something more exotic.”
Unlike domestic birds, wild ones have a deep, variable flavor, because they are often older at death, exercise freely and enjoy a mixed diet. Today’s farm-raised birds live a very different lifestyle than their wild counterparts — they are sedentary, eat a uniform diet and are harvested before they reach maturity. It is no surprise then that it takes a different approach to properly cook a wild game bird.
Chef Kirkmyer recommends enhancing the wild flavor rather than covering it up. “Why change it?” she said. “Work with it. Make it evolve the way it should.”
Experienced game cooks recommend several techniques to successfully prepare wild game — aging, brining, marinating and not overcooking. But first, the consensus seems to be that the key to fresh-tasting meat is to get it cleaned and cooled as quickly as possible. During a hunt, keep the harvested birds cool and as separate as possible. Avoid piling them one on an-other, as this allows for the growth of harmful bacteria.
Opinions vary about techniques for aging game birds. Proper aging allows the meat to “rest” so that the muscular fibers begin to break down, and the bird becomes more tender. The larger and older the bird, the more it improves with aging. Perhaps the simplest method is to wrap it in a damp cloth, seal it in a plastic bag and store it in a cool environment (below 40 degrees) for a few days to a week.
Before the Industrial Revolution (and pre-refrigeration), hanging game in a cool, dry place was about the only alternative to preserving fresh meat without smoking or salting it. Aging meat in this way also improved both the flavor and texture, breaking down tough, older game into tender cuts through what amounts to controlled decomposition. Game hung for long periods was said to have high flavor and was prized by certain culinarians.
Aging is a change in the activity of muscle enzymes. At death, the enzymes begin to deteriorate cell molecules. Large flavorless molecules become smaller, flavorful segments; proteins become savory amino acids; glycogen becomes sweet glucose and fats become aromatic. All of this breakdown of cell molecules creates intense flavor, which improves further upon cooking. When in doubt as to aging, it is best to consult a trusted source — hunter, game cook, or butcher.
Brining is an old-fashioned technique that involves soaking meat or poultry in a flavorful saltwater solution to enhance its moisture and taste. The proper ratio is two tablespoons of salt to four cups of water, with additional seasonings added according to individual tastes and recipes. It is especially good for use with game birds. Brining does not break down proteins in meat in the way that marinating does. Instead, it carries salt and sugar inside the cell walls of the meat to trap moisture. The true purpose of brining is juiciness, whereas the true purpose of marinating is tenderization.
A marinade is best used with muscular cuts of meat on older birds. It imparts flavor and helps break up the connective tissue. After soaking the meat in a marinade for a number of hours, the liquid can be used to baste while cooking.
Game chefs agree that the surest way to render wild game birds inedible is to overcook them. Because there is less fat in wild animals, the moisture evaporates quickly, drying out the meat, turning it gray and giving it that gamey flavor. White meat birds should not be served rare, but can have a blush of pink in them. Dark meat birds, such as ducks, should be served no more than medium-rare. You can cover the roasting bird with bacon strips to add flavor and keep the meat moist, and/or tent with aluminum foil until the last third of cooking time, in order to brown the skin. While cooking, dote on the meat, basting and poaching until the very last second, and be rewarded with a fine, rich flavor and texture. To test for doneness, pierce the bird with a fork in the thickest part of the thigh or breast and if the juices run clear, it is done. A slight pinkish tinge is good as well. If no juices run at all, whip the bird out of the oven quickly, as it is already well done.
In other words, don’t overcome it, enhance it. “Think simple, straightforward, full of flavor,” says Chef Kirkmyer.
Wild game cooking for the holidays is a celebration of the season and an authentic connection to our special place on the planet. It also recognizes a natural fact — that meat doesn’t just come from the grocery store. The reality of our biology is that one life sustains another.
Perhaps Jonathan Miles, Field and Stream magazine’s Wild Chef, said it best in the introduction to his cookbook. “I take to the woods and water to feed an old and particular hunger: a hunger for honest meat, for meat with that sublime range of flavors that only the wild provides...”
BOB WARING’S WILD GAME MARINADE
Ingredients:
1 bottle of soy sauce
1 bottle of sesame oil
2-3 bay leaves or basil leaves
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together until combined. Pour over meat and marinate in the refrigerator for at least four hours. This marinade is particularly complementary for quail and dove.
ROASTED WILD TURKEY
Ingredients:
1 young wild turkey (10 to 15 pounds)
2 large apples, quartered
6 to 8 medium red potatoes, quartered
2 pounds baby carrots
2 medium onions, sliced
2 cups water
1-1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup French salad dressing
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sage leaves for garnish
Directions:
Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan; place apples in turkey cavity. Place potatoes, carrots and onions around turkey. Pour water over vegetables. Combine seasoned salt, salt and pepper; rub over turkey. Combine remaining ingredients; spoon over the turkey.
Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 3-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 180 degrees. Baste if desired. Turkey may be uncovered for the last 30 minutes for additional browning if desired. After cooking, remove vegetables to a serving dish. Place turkey on a platter and garnish with roasted apples and sage leaves.
SCANDINAVIAN ROASTED CHRISTMAS GOOSE
The standard Scandinavian way of cooking a goose or duck is to stuff it with apples and prunes. When cooking a duck, adjust amount of stuffing to the size of the fowl; a 5 to 6-pound duck takes about two cups of stuffing.
Ingredients:
10 to 12-pound young goose, prepared for cooking
Salt
2 pounds tart apples, peeled, cored and quartered
1 pound of dried prunes, plumped in water, pitted and halved
1/2 cup flour (approximately)
1/3 cup butter
Thick slices of dried apple
More plumped pitted prunes for garnish
Directions:
Wash goose inside and out with hot water and dry carefully. Rub inside with salt. Combine apples and prunes and stuff goose. Truss and tie legs loosely to the tail. Place goose on rack in roasting pan. Roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove goose and turn heat down to 350 degrees. Drain all fat from pan. Sprinkle goose with a little of the flour. Return goose to oven.
Combine butter and hot water. When the flour on the goose has begun to brown, start basting with water-butter liquid. Sprinkle a little more flour on the goose after each basting; this helps absorb fat. Baste frequently. Roast for about 16-20 minutes per pound, depending on age of the bird, timing from the moment the goose goes in the oven. If goose is very fat, drain off fat several times during roasting. After the first hour, turn the bird every half-hour, roasting the goose on its back for the last 15 minutes. Test for doneness by moving legs up and down; they should move easily. Place goose on heated platter. Surround with thick slices of dried apple. Place a plumped pitted prune on each apple slice. Serve with red cabbage and browned potatoes.
DUCK BREAST WITH CHERRIES IN PORT WINE SAUCE
(Reprinted from Cooking with Anne Kirkmyer)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 large duck breasts (thawed if frozen)
Salt and pepper
Port wine sauce with cherries
Rosemary sprigs
Directions:
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, sear the breasts, skin side down, until skin is brown and crispy and fat has been rendered (about 4 to 5 minutes). Remove breasts from pan and place on a baking sheet. Reserve duck drippings. Sprinkle duck with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.To serve: Slice duck breasts and place on plate. Serve topped with port wine sauce. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.
PORT WINE SAUCE WITH CHERRIES
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon reserved duck drippings
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 cup pitted cherries (may use frozen cherries)
2/3 cup ruby port
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons butter
Directions:
In reserved duck drippings, sauté shallots for one minute. Add fruit and the port wine. Sprinkle in the sugar and stir to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and thicken with cornstarch. Whisk in butter.
ASIAN GRILLED QUAIL
(From Anne Kirkmyer)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 cleaned quail (dove breasts may be substituted)
1 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Combine liquid ingredients, ginger and sesame seeds in a bowl and mix well. Place game birds into a flat container and cover with marinade. Rub sauce over birds and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and allow to marinate for a few hours.
Grill birds on a hot grill, skin side down, for two minutes. Turn birds and grill for another two minutes. Remove from grill and allow to rest for a minute or two.
Suggestion for serving: Serve grilled birds over a bed of quinoa, couscous or brown rice mixed with dried cherries and pine nuts. May also just garnish with orange slices and sprigs of rosemary.