This is a small sample of some of the recipes that Chef Curt has cooked up in past segments of Prairie Sportsman.
Piccadilly Cured Salmon
(For this recipe I used a side of a large salmon and removed the skin.)
Create a brine that you will bring to a boil and add your vegetables, poaching them just long enough to green or brighten up. Pour this mixture over the fish filet and let it marinate for up to 48 hours. (Note: I cover this but leave the ends of the pan open to cool fast—then reseal once all is 40 degrees or cooler.)
The brine aroma can be very strong if inhaled at very close proximity when at a boil.
1 qt. vinegar
½ qt. water
2 T. lemon juice
1 onion julienne
1 green pepper, julienne
8 oz. sugar
4 T. (heaping) dry dill
1 T. chopped garlic or garlic salt
1 T. kosher salt
2-3 small zucchini, sliced (want same volume as other vegetables)
Deer Porcupine Meatballs
1 c. finely chopped deer meat
1 c. cooked white rice
Pinch of salt and pepper
Dash of Worcestershire and Tabasco Sauce
1/3 c. minced yellow onion
2 T. minced celery
1 egg
Beef base to taste (pinch)
Bread crumb or mashed croutons to tighten
Sauté to brown then bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.
Grilled Duck & Vegetables (ALA Foreman)
1) Using a Foreman style electric grill, prep your duck breast and vegetables so they are relatively the same thickness.
2) Remove vegetables to plate and season meat – finish meat to medium-well doneness and remove. Sauté with Balsamic Vinegar reduction (done by reducing in ½).
Seasoning mix: equal portions of Lawry salt, pepper and dry mustard
Vegetables used: zucchini planks, onion & pepper rings and mushrooms
Deer Scaloppini on Buttered Noodles with Garlic Mushroom Sauce
Method: precook noodles ahead about 1 oz. raw per person. Will yield a handful when cooked. Lightly oil and hold cooked chilled pasta until ready to use.
In one pan flour, season, sauté steaks to medium and sauté vegetables.
In other pan poach off pasta and large thin buds of broccoli.
Plate pasta with broccoli and steak on top. Deglace steak pan with touch of wine and maybe sugar and a pinch of roux. (It is OK to add a bit of beef base to your deglazed broth.)
Spoon sauce and such over the steak medallion.
Deer Medallions ala Holstein
Method:
Cut 2 small deer steaks 3-4 oz. in size. The steaks should be very clean.
Cut ½ potato (if large) per person in thin slices and sauté in oil or margarine. Turning so they cook through with a light gold edge. Season as you work with them and as you have room, sauté onion julienne in pan. When potatoes are out and plated, flour and sauté deer steaks to medium.
In second pan, boil water and poach 1 egg per person, placing on steak.
Make Hollandaise sauce and top each.
Garnish with paprika and tomato (optional).
Crock Pot Duck Dinner
Show duck or pheasant and crock pots with vegetables, potatoes and seasoning with flour mixed in (just like flavoring packets use). Use dry chicken base.
Set cooker on low.
When food is done remove some juice to use as gravy if necessary.
Prairie Bird Chili
This dish can be made with a variety of bird meat trimmings but is recommended to remove sinew and silverskin along with cartilage type material to make it more eating friendly. Also, double check and feel for B-Bs.
3 c. of double checked and chopped bird meat
Cook in a small amount of oil until meat is fully done.
Add favorite vegetables to just over the volume of meat. Veg. used: 1 cup each of celery and onion, ½ cup each of chopped carrots and green pepper. Cook until vegetables are bright in color and warmed through.
Add enough tomato sauce to cover and half again as much of water. Sprinkle top with 2 cloves of garlic, a dash of course salt and black pepper and a dense covering the top of chili powder.
Variations?????
Add a cup of kidney beans drained and 1 cup baked beans. (can use small cans found in stores)
Touch of hot sauce.
Let this cook for 15-20 minutes on medium-low heat and then check flavoring.
Consistency should be nice, thick and full looking.
½ cup hot peppers is optional.
Deer Roulade (Hassel back cut)
Served with Fruited Chutney
1) Clean and pound out deer meat portions
2) Make stuffing and fill inside and roll up (tie if necessary)
Can also sauté in fry pan to finish with seasoned flour.
3) Roast in oven to 155 degrees, lightly oiled and seasoned
4) Cut in slices but not all the way through.
Bread Dough Buns
1) Cut semi-proof bread dough in ½ inch thickness forming round shape using equal mix of sugar and flour with a touch of cinnamon to keep dough from sticking to hands.
2) Put in sprayed electric Forman grill for 2-4 minutes and remove.
Note: On breadsticks, cut lengthwise and wrap around a skewer before putting in grill.
Ideas: burger buns, salad breadsticks, breakfast sandwich
Seared Breast of Quail with Mushroom Soup (Sweetheart Dinner)
Can use instant potatoes and flavor up for duchess as you put ring around soup plate. Will golden with torch first put plate in over 250 degrees.
Sauté quail breast with onions and mushrooms, adding seasoning and chix base. Remove quail when done and hold.
Add milk or heavy cream to pan – check seasoning and tighten with roux.
Place soup in warm bowl and torch potato if necessary and place crackers around in potatoes. Slice quail breast and put on top of soup.
Since torch is out, make her a special s’more!
Pan Seared Duck Breast with Mango-Pineapple Vinaigrette
(Love Birds)
1) Deboned cleaned breast of duck – skin removed
2) Flour and sauté in a T. of canola oil or olive oil per duck
3) Sauté and season about 3 minutes both sides, medium high heat
4) Sauté your mushroom potatoes with your duck
5) Move both to a small pan and put in 300 degree oven for 5-8 minutes
6) Empty excess oil out of pan and drop one handful of spinach per person to warm and wilt (optional to add minced onion and bacon) and place in center of plates.
7) Once spinach is out of pan, add 2-3 vinaigrette (Curt’s favorite mango-pineapple) dressing and warm up in pan.
8) Plate duck and potatoes on plate with spinach and top with warm vinaigrette dressing.
Roasted Pheasant (boneless)
1) Fully rinse and check bird for BBs or other issues on skin or meat.
2) Wipe dry and debone the bird to achieve a boneless ½. Rub with lemon.
3) Egg, flour the bird.
4) Sauté on medium heat with olive oil. Set breaded meat aside in holding oven while you deglace pan for sauce.
5) Add a touch of stock to your pan to deglace. Add your favorite jelly or jam along with some minced onion and stir bottom of pan up. You may need to add a touch of water to loosen.
6) Add ½ shot of whiskey and a pinch of sugar.
7) Plate with spinach leaves and ladle sauce near – and maybe cinnamon-sugar over roast panned sweet potato wedges.
Wild Rice Rabbit Stew
½ quart basic cream sauce with slight chicken base background flavor
½ c. wild rice (raw), cook fully
1 small onion, diced
2 pieces celery, diced
2 oz. diced carrot
2 cups cooked rabbit meat (small bite-sized cuts)
1 small can mushrooms or ½ pint fresh mushrooms, sliced
Pinch of rosemary
1 bay leaf
¼ stick butter
1½ c. flour
Serve in a roasted potato shell or with fried potato planks around bowl.
Baked Garden Zucchini with Deer Steak Wellington
Stuffed zucchini with partridge or bird meat added to it.
Sauté livers and seasonings (fennel & cream) and smear on top of the seasoned deer steak.
Wrap in put pastry and bake in 375 degree oven for 10-13 minutes until pastry is done.
Bake zucchini in oven for 10 minutes until warmed through.