Have You Got Game?

Ingredients:

1 lime, juiced
light sprinkle of dried marjoram, tarragon, and thyme
several pieces of thinly sliced tomatoes (depending on size of fillet)
several pieces of thinly sliced Bermuda onion, or a light sprinkle of chopped fresh scallions or chives

Place fillet or whole, gutted fish on aluminum foil. Apply lime juice, dried herbs, tomatoes, and onion to one side only. Wrap the fish tightly with the foil and place on a grill with medium heat. Turn fish every five minutes. Cooking time varies with the grill heat and the size of the fish. Cook until fish just turns flaky throughout. On a covered grill, an average of 20 minutes is needed, whereas an average of 30 minutes may be needed for grills without a cover. The key for successful cooking is to begin checking it for flakiness starting at 15 minutes into your cooking time.

Tip:

If you want just a hint of hickory flavor, place a water-soaked hickory chip near a flame and open the aluminum foil during the final five minutes of cooking time. This will only work if your grill has a lid.

How to Eat:

The trout can be eaten with the skin still in place. With your fork, slowly and gently peel the top side of the fish from the backbone toward you, starting at the head. Then carefully lift away the backbone using the tail fin to reveal the opposite side of the fish. Trout bones are small and soft—but chew slowly to avoid, just to be on the safe side.

Photos by Lanewood Studio.

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 medium shallots, minced
2 jalapeños, minced
ancho chile powder (just enough to season the outside of the butter cube/roll)
2 Tbsp. freshly ground peppercorns
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 dash granulated garlic
2 1/2 lb. bison tenderloin, tied, or substitute bison ribeye steaks
8 thick slices of crusty bread, preferably Niedlov’s sourdough or ciabatta bread
extra virgin olive oil to brush the bread with

Set up grill for indirect grilling, with the coals on one side, and heat to 450 degrees. In a bowl, mix butter, shallots, and jalapeños and season with salt. Transfer to a sheet of wax paper and shape back into the shape of a cube of butter or roll into a 1 1/2 inch thick log. Gently season the outside of cube/roll with ancho chile powder (regular chile powder for substitute) and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

In a bowl, mix the ground peppercorns, one tablespoon of salt, and a dash of granulated garlic. Mix white, green, black, pink, and even Szechuan peppercorns if available. Sprinkle bison with seasoning mixture until seasoned to your personal preference. Oil the grate and grill bison directly over coals, turning until charred.

Move bison away from the direct heat side of coals. Continue grilling indirectly until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the bison registers 130 degrees. Transfer to a carving board; let rest for 10 minutes.

Brush thin slices of fresh sourdough or ciabatta bread with a good grade of extra virgin olive oil and grill the bread directly over coals until toasted. Slice jalapeño shallot butter into desired thickness (1/4 inch works well) and transfer to a plate or butter dish. Slice bison into thin pieces and serve on crostini with jalapeño shallot butter.

Tip:

If using bison ribeye in place of tenderloin, you may give the steak a 90 degree turn (on the same side) for cross hatch grill marks, but it’s best to only completely flip the steak over once.

Photos by Rich Smith.

Ingredients:

Marinade

12 whole dressed quail
4 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. sugar
2 large eggs
4 cups water
Toothpicks

Breading

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. seasoned salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 cups vegetable oil

Gravy

4 Tbsp. seasoned flour
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil (use frying oil)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream or half and half
1 tbsp. dried parsley

Combine salt, pepper, onion powder, sugar, eggs, and water. Mix well. Place quail in a Ziplock bag. Pour egg mixture over the quail and refrigerate four to six hours.

Whisk together flour, seasoned salt, and pepper. Heat vegetable oil to 325 degrees. Remove quail and secure the legs and body with toothpicks. Roll the birds in seasoned flour. Cook for approximately 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy. Remove to a warm plate while gravy is being made.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add flour and oil. Cook until oil and flour are completely combined. Crush and then add the chicken bouillon cubes. Continue to cook for two minutes. Add wine, then the cream or half and half, and stir until smooth and thickened. Add parsley, stir, and keep warm.

Serve two per person with gravy on the side or ladled over.

Photos by Rich Smith.

Ingredients:

4 duck breasts
2 apples, sliced
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 1/2 cans consommé, undiluted

Stuff duck breasts with apple and celery. Cook breasts in covered pot with consommé and one can of water for three hours at 350 degrees.

Sauce

1 1/2 cups butter
2/3 cup sherry
1/2 cup bourbon
5 oz. jar currant jelly
4 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 cup flour
1 lb. bacon, cooked

Heat above ingredients in pot on stove. Add flour to thicken as needed. Serve de-boned duck meat with sauce on a bed of wild long grain rice. Crumble a pound of cooked bacon on top.

Photos by Rich Smith.

Ingredients:

Meat

2 lbs. venison, wild turkey, or quail
1 pound sliced bacon

Marinade

1 cup of organic lemon ginger sesame dressing (available at Costco). It can be substituted with balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing.
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. red wine

Whisk marinade ingredients in a bowl until fully mixed. Pour half a cup in a separate container to use for basting while cooking.

Baste

Melt half a stick of butter into the remaining marinade. Once cooking is underway, use a basting brush to keep poppers moist while cooking. Save enough to brush on a final coat once they’re off the grill – this will enhance the taste and add a shiny glaze.

Stuffing

8 oz. feta or cream cheese
1 jar large oil-free olives
1 jar sliced pickled jalapeños

Pat meat dry and place in tray or bowl. Pour marinade over meat and let it sit for one to two hours.

To prepare the poppers for grilling, take a slice or cube of meat. If slice, place about a teaspoon of cheese onto the slice and top with either half a large olive or jalapeño slice. Fold the strip of meat around the stuffing and wrap with half a slice of bacon. Push toothpick through to hold together. Place poppers in flat brownie dish as they are made. Pour marinade over the poppers. If meat has been cut into cubes with a pocket, use the same process but place stuffing in pocket and wrap bacon over opening to help hold stuffing in.

Heat grill to the same temperature you typically cook steak. Cook three to five minutes on each side for medium. Baste each side while cooking. Cooking time should be adjusted based on taste and size of meat. Baste one last time, and serve on a platter with a shot glass of mint jelly and small spoon.

Tip:

Meat can be cut to fit the size of appetizer desired. Brad typically cuts thin strips about an inch wide and two inches long. The thin strip allows for wrapping the meat around cheese and stuffing. You can also cut a cube of meat with a pocket cut into one side for stuffing.