Two Tasty Recipes

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You've done everything right during the hunting season by filling your freezer with fine game meat. Yet your family (and secretly you) really doesn't look forward to cooking or eating this fine bounty from nature.

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I'm going to enjoy my Iowa buck just as much on the table as I did in the field. Good table fare begins with good field care.

Take heart. Two simple recipes that can be used for a variety of game -- wild turkey, deer, pheasant, grouse, elk, antelope, and waterfowl -- will amaze your family and friends with your culinary expertise. I personally have converted numerous nonhunters into wild game lovers with these two easy and delicious meals. The venison and turkey came from my Mathews bow, but I must admit, the pheasant and grouse fell to my Browning Citori. But I'll keep trying!

These simple recipes use breast fillets from the birds or any good cut of big game meat. Backstraps and rump roasts are especially good. When cooking venison or turkey breast fillets, you must cut across the grain and lightly pound the meat. Use pheasant or grouse breast fillets whole, slightly pounding them to tenderize.

Pat the pieces dry and dredge in the flour mixture -- do not dip them in any liquid (egg or milk) first. Do not clean the pan between steps; let the flavor flow from one ingredient to the next. Follow the foolproof directions outlined to produce a fabulous meal. I cook my venison sparingly, as my family enjoys it medium rare, but you can cook to your preference.

You can serve these dishes over rice or noodles. I prefer mine as is from the pan with baked or mashed potatoes as a side. Make some for your nonhunting family and friends -- you may just find a new partner to join you in the field.

Wild turkey with cranberry cracked peppercorn sauce Advertisement

GAME MEDALLIONS WITH CRANBERRY CRACKED PEPPERCORN SAUCE
Ingredients:
wild game meat
flour, seasoned to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, etc.)
1 can whole cranberries
1 jar brown turkey or beef gravy
1 cup Ruby Port wine
1 tbsp cracked black peppercorns (slightly pound between wax paper or in a small Ziploc bag to crack)

Directions:
Remove as much membrane from meat as possible. Cut across the grain into medallions, lightly pound medallions, dredge in flour mixture, and then brown in butter in a hot skillet. Remove meat from skillet. Add cranberries, gravy, port wine, and peppercorns to skillet. Bring to boil while stirring well to mix and melt cranberries. Add meat and decrease heat to a simmer until reduced to a nice thick sauce. This hearty meal goes well with potatoes and a California Cabernet.

Venison Marsala with baked potato Advertisement

WILD GAME MARSALA
Ingredients:
wild game meat
Porto Bello mushrooms (sliced)
regular white mushrooms (sliced)
Marsala wine
chicken broth
flour, seasoned to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, etc.)

Directions:
Remove as much white membrane as possible from meat. Cut across the grain into medallions, lightly pound medallions, then dredge in flour and set aside. Sauté sliced mushrooms in butter until light brown. Remove and set aside. Add more butter to same pan and sauté game medallions until golden brown. Add cooked mushrooms and cover with 2„3 Marsala, 1„3 chicken broth mixture. Bring to boil, and then lower heat to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Enjoy fowl with a nice mushroom risotto and crisp white wine, and venison with a nice merlot.

The author is a doctor from Valley Cottage, New York.