Let's hear it for the Red, White, and Blue: Spring Turkey opens May 1st!

New York State is one of the top turkey hunting states in the East. The spring seasons lasts from May 1 until May 31st with hunting in the mornings (1/2 hour before sunrise until noon) and a 2 tom limit for the season (as in, a bearded turkey...a jake will do, but no hens). To get more information about Wild Turkey hunting, including harvesting information and safety, look at the NY State DEC website.

Wild turkeys were nearly extinct in New York State a hundred years ago due to habitat loss and over hunting, but with proper management, they have made an incredible recovery. More can be read about this interesting history in NYS DEC's "Wild Turkey Management Plan". The plan outlines the history of wild turkeys in the state and their re-establishment. The Wild Turkey Management Plan also states, "Now that the wild turkey has been restored to New York State, our goal is to ensure that a vigorous, self-sustaining population is maintained in all suitable habitats of the State. Furthermore, turkeys will be managed to best meet the needs and desires of the people of the State of New York, using the steps outlined in this plan." In managing New York’s wild turkey resource, DEC focuses on four primary areas; Monitoring and Protecting the Wild Turkey Population; Public Use and Enjoyment of the Wild Turkey; Turkey Nuisance and Damage Management; Information and Outreach. Thanks to proper management wild turkey can be on the dinner table in Seneca County!

I have found the easiest way to prepare a turkey is by breasting it. Lay the turkey on its back, and cut a small incision along the top of the breast bone just long enough to be able to grab the skin to pull it back. The skin with the feathers should easily pull away from the breast meat. Once the breast meat is exposed, carefully run your knife (a fillet or boning knife works well) along the breast bone and ribs until the breast is cut free. Be careful not to cut the crop which is located at the top of the breast bones (inside the v shape) and can be a bit stinky. There are a few useful videos of turkey breasting posted on You Tube (use your discretion, I am not endorsing this particular video or any of them). There will be a lot of meat with each breast which can be used in any turkey breast recipe, and the flavor will be more intense and delicious. If you wrap the meat in butcher paper it will keep in the freezer for a good six months (until Thanksgiving). Often there are some scraps of meat still on the bird after the breasts are removed, including some thigh and leg meat which can be tough if traditionally cooked as whole pieces. I remove any remaining white pieces of meat and choice pieces of leg meat to use for the following recipe....

Wild Turkey with Sherry and Broccoli

1 lb turkey,wild caught (cooked pieces)

1 bunch broccoli, washed and chopped

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1.5 cup skim milk

.5 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sherry wine

2 t. worcestershire sauce

2 T. grated parmesan cheese

If starting with raw turkey pieces, saute turkey pieces in a greased (either with cooking spray or a little olive oil) fry pan over medium heat until just cooked through (about 5 minutes). Cook broccoli either in microwave or steamer until barely tender (about 3-4 minutes). Arrange the broccoli on the bottom of a greased casserole (or 9x11 inch) dish and then layer the cooked turkey meat on top of the broccoli. Meanwhile heat butter in sauce pan over medium heat and add the flour. Stir and cook about 2 minutes to form a roux (a paste). Gradually stir in milk and chicken broth and cook until sauce thickens. This may take 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste, then add sherry wine. Cook 1 minute longer. Pour the sauce over the turkey and broccoli. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese (and some parsley flakes, if you have them). Bake in a 400 degree oven for 2o minutes. Serves 4. This recipe is very tasty served over wild rice. Wild turkey has less fat and more protein than traditional birds bought from the grocer and typically has more polyunsaturated (good) fat and less saturated fat. The attached nutrition label is based on farm turkey, so the fat and protein content will be slightly different using wild turkey (a healthier difference).

Waterfowl season has just ended...

The top of Cayuga Lake is frozen, and the waterfowl hunting season for duck and Canada geese has ended in Seneca County . Hopefully you have some ducks to breast or dress whole to eat and enjoy. I have taken to the simple way of breasting a duck by making a small slit in the skin along the breast bone, pulling the skin back to expose the breast meat, and then removing the meat by carefully running my boning knife along the breast bone and ribs to create 2 perfect skinless, boneless breast fillets. The flavor of duck varies, depending on the species, age and condition of the duck. Mallards, teals, black duck, redheads, pintails and ringnecks are excellent for eating (and of course the Canvasback, but they were prohibited this year- no cheating), and of course, the younger the better. A 100 gram skinless, boneless duck breast will provide you with 123 calories, 4 grams of fat, and high quality protein.

Here is a recipe to try from your weekend larder....

SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH PAN JUICES AND RASPBERRY PRESERVES

4 boneless wild duck breast halves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup dry sherry

2 Tablespoons seedless raspberry preserves (you could try other fruit, such as cherry, currant, blueberry, etc)

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic (optional)

Sprinkle the duck breast evenly with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the sherry and fruit preserves. Set aside. In a 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add breast halves and sear for 3 minutes, turning once. Add onions (and optional garlic) to the the pan and cook for 2 minutes longer. Pour sherry mixture over the duck breasts. Cook for 4 to 8 minutes, or until meat is desired doneness and the sauce is slighty reduced and thicker. You may remove the meat, when it is rare to medium rare, to a plate and cover loosely with foil, and then reduce the sauce to a desired consistency. To serve, slice breast meat and slightly fan out the slices over cooked noodles or rice. Pour the sauce over the meat and pasta. Garnish with some fruit and greenery.

note: duck meat is more tender when cooked rare to medium and can become tough if over cooked.

Serves 4, but some may say just 2 servings (I can think of one hunter in particular). If you would like nutritional consultation regarding serving sizes please call my office at Seneca CCE, but keep in mind a portion of meat should be 3 ounces which is about the size of a deck of cards.