Wild Game Recipes from On Wisconsin Outdoors

Our cookin' experts bring you wild game recipes. Suzette Curtis will feature her recipes in each
print issue of On Wisconsin Outdoors and Kristine James will feature her recipes on this page.

November 2011 Roasted Pheasant Pheasant With Sauerkraut Avocado Rotel Salsa Egg Plant Parmesan Corn Souffl e Raspberry Custard Meringue Pie	November 2010 Cream of Wild Rice Wild Mushroom Soup	September 2010 Potato Pancakes Bluegill

Cook'n With Kristine
May 2010

The temperature is rising and the days are getting longer. I am really looking forward to my first trip down my river. The water is running fast and only a few carp have been seen, but soon the fish will be plentiful and I will have a hard time making the choice of gliding quietly down with an Ultra Lite in my hands to capture the joy of the tail dance of my Small Mouth Bass as he tries to swindle his way off my hook or a leisure float with friends… a “cold one” quenching my thirst and a picnic lunch on a sand bar.

Where I live the White River runs unencumbered from the Neshkoro Mill Pond all the way to the Fox River. What may take 5 minutes or less by car takes 3-4 hours by water to the first bridge. While White River photomeandering through the twists and turns of the white sand bottom river, Mother Nature offers some of the most beautiful scenery and wildlife found anywhere in Wisconsin. A fisherman’s paradise with the adventure of catching an elusive Brown… Spearing a Carp (wonderful smoked) or the plentiful Small Mouth that puts up a challenging fight. There are giant Northern and even a Musky has been known to mysteriously find its way up to spawn.  Oh, and the Catfish… yum… are plentiful for those who like night fishing. The slews are a duck hunters dream. If I had to say I live in Paradise… You bet I do!

Well now that my River is no longer one of Wisconsin’s “best kept secrets”… feel free to forget everything you just read and go back to the Mecan, the Pine or the Willow……

One of my favorite dinners on a cool spring night when comfort food is still a good way to take the chill off and my freezer is still stocked with some of last fall’s harvest is Braised Rabbit and Mallard in a rich brown gravy served along side a rich casserole of wild rice loaded with sautéed wild mushrooms and onions. And for dessert …a delicious Raspberry Pie

I like combining rabbit with duck, chucker breast or pheasant to render a richer flavor…. The rabbit seems to compliment any waterfowl …see what you think.

Braised Rabbit and Fowl – Serves 6
Recipe by Kristine James

4 Lbs Rabbit and Fowl
1 Large Sweet Onion slice in  ¼” pieces
1 Qt Buttermilk (buttermilk removes any gamey taste)
1 Qt Whole Milk
¾  Cup Bacon Grease (vegetable oil may be substituted, but the flavor will not be the same)
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Clean, skin and quarter rabbit and birds (a full Chucker breast equals a quarter). Place neck or part of a back can be used in 1 quart plus  ½  cup of water and onion ends and skin. Simmer about 1 hour… to be used for wild rice later. Grease a large covered baking dish.

Using 1 ½ cups flour, dredge meat thoroughly and set aside. Melt  ¼ cup bacon grease in a LARGE heavy skillet at medium/high heat. Fry  ½  of meat until nicely browned sprinkling with salt and pepper to taste. Takes 5-8 minutes. Put first layer in greased baking dish and arrange  ½ of separated onion slices over the top.  Salt and Pepper… I like lots of pepper. Melt another  ¼ cup bacon grease and repeat with the remainder of the meat.
Rue: Turn heat down to low. Add the last  ¼ cup bacon grease to drippings and loosen the bottom of any brown areas. Add remaining flour from the dredging plate and an additional ½ cup flour to create a paste.

Turn heat up to medium… medium/high and slowly add butter milk stirring constantly until bubbly and thick. Add the quart of whole milk and continue stirring until it begins to boil. Turn off heat and pour over meat.  Cover

Cook at 300 degrees for 4-4 ½  hours

Rice with Wild Mushrooms and Onions
Recipe by Kristine James

1 Lb Wild Mushrooms (I like Hens of the Woods because the freeze well, but Oyster, Morels, Baby Bellas or what ever rice photoyou like will work great)  Chopped in large chunks.
¾ Cup Wild Rice
¾  Cup Brown Rice
3 Cups Broth
1 Cup Beer
¼ Lb Butter
½  Large Sweet Onion… Chop in large chunks
2 Healthy Pinches Course Sea Salt

Strain broth that has been simmering. In a 2 quart sauce pan put wild and brown rice. Add 3 cups broth and 1 cup beer and 2 Healthy pinches Sea Salt. Bring to a boil… stir… cover and simmer on low for one hour or until all moisture is absorbed. In a medium sized heavy skillet on medium heat, melt butter. Add Onions and Mushrooms and fry until just starting to brown. Remove from heat. Mix with rice and serve.

Fresh Raspberry Pie with a Crumble Top (Serves 10)
Recipe by Kristine James

5 Cups Fresh or Fresh Frozen Raspberries
1  ¼ Cup White Sugar
½  Cup All Purpose Flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Crumble Top:
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
½  Cup Firmly Packed Dark Brown Sugar
¼ Lb Salted Butter

10” Single Pie Crust:
1 1/3  Cups  All Purpose Flour
¼  tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Shortening or 1/3 Cup Lard plus 2 Tblsp Bacon Grease (Great Flavor)
3-4 Tblsp Cold Water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Crust:
Mix flour and salt in a medium size mixing bowl. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time mixing with a fork until all the flour is moistened and dough almost clings to the side of the bowl. Gather dough into a ball and flatten on a well floured board. Roll dough 2 inches larger than inverted pie pan. Fold pastry in half and ease onto pie plate. Trim  ½ inch from rim and fold under and crimp with fork or edge using your finger tip. Set aside.

Topping:
In a smaller bowl, cut together 1 cup flour,  ½ cup brown sugar and butter until crumbly. Set aside.

Filling:
Mix all berries, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Pour into pie crust. Sprinkle topping evenly over berries.

Cover edge with aluminum foil. Place a piece of foil over top as well. Place in oven. For fresh berries… remove top piece of foil after 50 minutes and crust foil after 60 minutes. Turn down heat to 350 degrees and continue baking till brown and bubbly (about another 15 minutes. For frozen berries… remove top foil after 60 minutes and crust foil after 70 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until brown and bubbly.

Venison Chili - Texas Style
Recipe by Kristine James

3 LBS VENISON BURGER (CUT ABOUT 25% PORK)
1 ½ LBS VENISON HIND QUARTER STEAK –CUBED
1 TSP SMOKEY MESQUITE SEASONING
2 ½ TSP CAYENNE
2 TSP CHIPOLTE SEASONING
1 TSP CUMIN
½ TSP SEA SALT
1 TBSP MEXICAN OREGANO
1 TBSP SMOKED PAPRIKA
4 TBSP MINCED GARLIC
2 LARGE SWEET YELLOW ONIONS – ROUGH CHOPPED
2 LBS BABY BELLA MUSHROOMS – SLICED
3 28OZ CANS DICED TOMATOES
2 12OZ CANS TOMATO PASTE
2 12OZ BOTTLES SMITHWICKS ALE  (OR ANY GOOD LIGHT ALE)

BROWN MEAT WITH ONION AND ALL SEASONINGS. ADD MUSHROOMS, TOMATOES, PASTE, BEER AND ADOBO. SIMMER AT LEAST 4 HOURS. COOL OVER NIGHT AND REHEAT.

CRÈME ROTTELE
Recipe by Kristine James

16 OZ CONTAINER SOUR CREAM
1 CAN ORIGINAL ROTELLE
¼ TSP GARLIC POWDER

MIX IN CHOPPED SWEET ONIONS AND SHREDDED SHARP CHEDDAR

Apple Bread Pudding
Recipe by Kristine James

4 CUPS CINNIMON RAISON BREAD
2 MEDIUM APPLES, PEELED & DICED
2 CUPS SCALDED CREAM
2 TBSP. BUTTER MELTED
3 EGGS
1/3 MAPLE SYRUP
1 TSP. VANILLA
1 TSP. CINNAMON
¼ TSP. NUTMEG
¼ TSP. CLOVES
1 TSP. GRATED LEMON RIND

MIX BREAD WITH APPLES; SET ASIDE. COMBINE CREAM, BUTTER, EGGS, MAPLE SYRUP, VANILLA, CINNAMON, NUTMEG, CLOVES, AND RIND IN BLENDER OR WITH HAND MIXER. POUR  OVER BREAD/APPLE MIXTURE SPOON INTO A BUTTERED 2 QT. CASSEROLE OR INDIVIDUAL RAMEKINS. SET DISH IN A LARGER PAN OF HOT WATER; BAKE AT 350 FOR 1 HOUR OR UNTIL KNIFE INSERTED IN CENTER COMES OUT CLEAN. SERVE WARM WITH WHIPPED CREAM OR ICE CREAM. (6 SERVINGS)

Looking for a good game recipe? Or just have a general preparation question?
Just email me: cooknwithkristine

Getting Pickled: Pickled Pike Recipes
by Denny Murawska

The ice fishing, or "hard water," season here up north lasts a long time. Many tournaments are held in February, a good time to become distracted from cabin fever. It will not be long before the ice gradually returns to its liquid phase, but we are not there yet. As I write, an army of anglers still hunker over mysterious, dark holes in the ice, trying to divine the fate of their quarry below. Perhaps you have already stocked up on some juicy fillets and wonder how to best prepare them. Fish taken from icy-cold water are some of the finest eating. Most of these get beer-battered and served up as crispy hunks of goodness. Nothing quite like fresh fish!

However, there is another way to enjoy them, and that is pickling. Any fish can be pickled, but northern pike are some of the best. And, with tip-ups flying in the breeze, now is a perfect time to try your hand at this venerable method of preparation. Forget the herring you may have sampled in stores. Pike come out way tastier, and you can have fun experimenting with your own blend of spices.

If this is your first venture into pickling, you will be surprised at how easy it is. The results are goof-proof. The end product will keep for weeks and dissolves those pesky Y bones common to pike. Here are some tips to turn out a gourmet's delight.

First, fish need to be frozen at least four days. This destroys any parasites which may be present. Water should be high-quality drinking water. Tap water high in hardness, iron, or other minerals can give an off flavor. If this sounds like your tap water, use bottled water. Vinegar is another key ingredient. White vinegar with an acid content of 5 percent is best and will not give the fish an off color. Vinegar at the recommended levels helps prevent bacterial growth. Salt should be the pickling or canning variety. It should not be iodized. Plain table sugar is used as a sweetening agent.

With those basics at hand and your fillets cut into chunks, it is time to pickle.

In a non-metal container, for each 5 pounds of fish, dissolve 2-1/2 cups of salt into one gallon of water. Refrigerate for 48 hours. This is called brining. Rinse the brined fish in cold water and cover with undiluted White vinegar for another 24 hours. This further firms up the flesh and dissolves tiny bones. Now, it is time to pack the fish in jars. Place chopped onions in the bottom and top of the jar before covering with one of the following pickling solutions.

Herring Style
(for 5 pounds of fish)
1 quart distilled vinegar
5 1/2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons of pickling spice
1 cup dry white wine

Combine these ingredients (except the wine) and bring to a boil. When cool, add the wine and place scalded lids on your jars. Refrigerate a week before eating. These should keep six to eight weeks in the fridge.

Mustard Pickle
(for 5 pounds of fish)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups distilled vinegar
1/3 cup prepared mustard
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp pickling spice
3 bay leaves

Mix these and bring to a boil. When cool, fill jars with the solution and onions. Cover with scalded lids and refrigerate a week before sampling.

Joe Jackowski's Ultimate Pickle
Step 1
1 qt cut and skinned fish
1 cup White vinegar
5/8 cup pickling (canning) salt
Place in large jar and let stand in fridge covered for
7 days. Shake once a day.
Step 2
On day 8, rinse with cold water until water runs
clear. Let stand in cold water for 1 hour.
Step 3
Slice desired amount of small onions (yellow are
best)
Step 4
In saucepan, mix:
1 cup White vinegar
1 cup sugar
Heat until sugar dissolves but don't boil
Add 1 cup of fruit wine (Boone's Farm or
something made from apples or pears) and let cool.
Step 5
Drain water from step 2, add onions and cool mixture
from step 4. Cover and let stand for 48 hours.

Enjoy your pickled pike!

Bass Ready to Eat...

by Mike Yurk

Bass have gotten a bad rap over the years. No one will disagree that bass are fun to catch and that they put up a heck of a good fight, especially on light tackle. However, once you start talking about eating bass and putting them on the dinner table, lots folks will tell you that bass are no good to eat. I have eaten my share of bass and can tell you that is not true. Bass are tasty. 

People will tell you that bass might be good in the spring, but never eat one in the summer. They taste fishy, they say. That also is not true. In mid-July, I pan fried some bass fillets for a couple of fishing buddies and I to have with eggs for breakfast. The fish tasted just fine, with no fishy taste.

I am not sure where this bad rap came from. When I lived down south; I ate bass all the time throughout the year and never had a fishy fillet.

All we had were crappies, bluegills, catfish, and bass. There were no walleyes down south, so people ate what they caught, and that included eating bass if you were looking for a fish dinner. After living for over 10 years down south, I find nothing wrong with eating bass and never did develop a prejudice against eating it.

A couple of general tips will help. For most recipes, take off the skin. If there is a fishy taste, it usually comes from the skin. Secondly, soak the fillets in milk. Soaking bass in milk only for a couple of hours will help. Soaking them overnight is even better. The milk will also remove any possible fishy taste. Thirdly, if at all possible, eat your bass as soon as your can. If you aren’t planning on eating them within the next day, then freeze them as soon as you get them cleaned. Also, make sure to freeze them in water. That will prevent freezer burn on the fish. Do not let them stay in the freezer for long. Eat them within a few weeks, and do not let them sit in the freezer more than three or four months.

Here are some of my favorite recipes for bass

Pan Fried. Roll your fillets in spiced flour. At the grocery store you can find any number of fish breading mixes that are flour based. One of my favorites is Fry Magic. If you want to make your own seasoned flour, this is one of my favorites. Shake out a small pile of flour on a plate. Add paprika, ground pepper, and just a little bit of garlic powder. Mix with a fork and you are ready to start. Melt butter in a pan and drop in the fillets. Turn often and fry until the edges are brown. If you would like to zip this up a bit, roll the fillets in powdered ranch dressing. It will give the fillets a bit more of a tangy taste. You can substitute frying the fillets in butter by frying them in Buttered Crisco.

Deep Fried. You can either use the whole bass fillet or cut the fillets into inch-long strips and make them into bass fingers. Bread the fish by either dropping the fillets into a bag with the breading and shaking it, or put the fish in an egg wash and roll them in breading. There are a lot of breading mixes out there, and they can be found in sport shops and grocery stores. One of my favorite store bought mixes is Andy’s Seasoned Fish Breading. If I am going to make my own, I just use Italian bread crumbs. Heat vegetable oil in a pot and drop in the fish. Fry until the fillets are brown. For a little something different you can substitute Buttered Crisco or peanut oil for vegetable oil.

Cooking with aluminum foil. Cut off pieces of aluminum foil. Place orange and lime slices on the foil and put pads of butter on the fruit slices. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fillet and place it on the butter. On top of the fillet put pads of butter, and on top of the butter put slices of orange and lime. Wrap the aluminum foil around the fish and put on the grill. Turn the aluminum foil packet every five minutes and cook for about 30 minutes.

On the grill. This recipe is an exception to the rule of removing the skin. Scale the bass and fillet, leaving the skin intact. The skin will help hold the meat of the fish together as you are grilling and will generally come off anyway by the time you are finished cooking. Place a layer of aluminum foil over the grill. With a knife or fork, punch holes in the aluminum foil to let the smoke through. In a small pot, melt a stick of butter and mix it with Worcestershire sauce until the mixture is light brown in color. Place the fillets on the aluminum foil on the grill. Turn often, and each time baste the fillets with the butter and Worcestershire sauce. Grill fish for about half an hour until they turn brown.

If you have any lingering doubts that bass are good to eat, these recipes should completely dispel that. Bass are as good as any fish to eat, so keep a few to enjoy.

[Read Mike Yurk's column "Keeping Bass For Better Fishing" in the Mar/April 2012 issue of On Wisconsin Outdoors}

The Konus Kitchen is Getting Hot!

May 7, 2012 –  Put your aprons on and sharpen your knives, the Konus Kitchen is now open!  Launching in May, this new section of the Konus Facebook page will feature wild game recipes, cooking tips from pros, and special promotions.

To kick-start the Konus Kitchen, Konus is celebrating all those moms who work tirelessly to feed their families.  And for the love of the hunt, the company is calling mothers to post a recipe for their best game-prepared meal.  Each recipe posted will be entered into the a sweepstakes and the winning recipe will be featured on the Konus Facebook page.  The winner will receive a kitchen gift set and a Konus apron.  A list of the top 10 best recipes posted will also be featured on the Konus Facebook page.

To enter, submit recipe and photo via the Konus Facebook page – www.facebook.com/konuspro.  Contest begins on Monday, May 7th and all votes must be submitted by Friday, May 11th.  Winner will be announced on May 14, 2012.

About Konus

For more than 30 years, Konus has provided customers with the highest quality European-designed products for their sporting needs, with special attention given to avid hunters and tactical shooters. Konus products range from riflescopes to spotting scopes and from electronic dot sights to binoculars (and more), with all KonusPro products warranted under a Limited Lifetime Replacement Warranty.  Konus also offers the unprecedented Konus Lifeline, an expedited remote replacement program designed to allow hunters to get live customer support and request a replacement Konus scope to be sent to their hotel, cabin or lodge via overnight shipping. Konus’ world headquarters are based in Verona, Italy, while KONUS USA headquarters are based in Miami, Florida. For more information, please call 305-262-5668 or visit www.konususa.com.

For all press inquiries including product prices and high-resolution images, please contact Melly Bonita at engage-pr@wnvsales.com.