Wild Game Recipes from On Wisconsin Outdoors

• Braised Rabbit & Fowl
• Rice with Wild Mushrooms and Onions
• Fresh Raspberry Pie with a Crumble Top
• Venison Chili - Texas Style
• Creme Rottele
• Apple Bread Pudding

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 online.

Cook'n With Kristine

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 meandering 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.

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 you 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. [back to top]

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 [back to top]
 

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) [back to top]

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