Ice Fishing!

The ice is almost a foot thick at the top of Cayuga Lake and the perch are biting. There have also been reports of lake trout being caught. As always, the NYS DEC website has good information on how to ice fish, safety tips, rules, regulations, and where to find fish.

Perch are sometimes called poor man's shrimp...simply boil the fillets just a minute or 2 until the flesh is white and cooked through (do not overcook or the meat can get tough). Chill the perch fillets and serve as you would a shrimp cocktail...with some fresh lemon wedges and cocktail sauce. Yum!

Corned Goose

The second half of waterfowl season is in full swing until January 9th in Seneca County. There is a daily limit of 3 Canada Geese and 25 Snow Geese per day (hunting of this species is obviously encouraged, and you can read more about this in an earlier post, "Snow Geese Abound"). What to do with all this goose meat? You can freeze some for later use with a vacuum sealer or butcher paper, smoke some, make jerky, and you can corn it, along with many other possibilities. Corning meat is a relatively simple process, consisting of placing the meat in a brining solution, similar to preparing meat for smoking, though for a longer period of time, about 5-7 days, and then slow cooking the meat in water for 3-5 hours with or without cabbage. Here is the recipe...

Corned Goose (or venison)

4 goose breast pieces (from 2 birds) or a 3-5 lb venison roast

2 quarts water

1/2 cup canning or pickling salt

1/2 cup tender quick salt (this is a curing salt which contains nitrates and should not be substituted for food safety reasons, color and taste. A common brand is Morten Tender Quick)

5-6 whole peppercorns or 1 T. cracked black pepper

3 T. sugar

2-3 T. pickling spice

6 crushed garlic cloves

1 T. thyme (optional)

1 t. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Bring the water, salt, sugar, and spices to a boil for a few minutes (all of the ingredients except the goose!) and then remove from heat and allow to return to room temperature or colder. Place the boneless, skinless goose breasts in a glass, ceramic or plastic container that is large enough to hold the goose with a few inches of head space. Do not use a metal container. Pour the cooled brining liquid over the goose meat to cover it. Cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, turning the meat occasionally. Remove the goose meat from the brine and cook it in a crock pot or dutch oven by covering the meat with clean water and allowing it to simmer for 3-5 hours until tender. Cut it into thin slices for serving with mustard or sauerkraut.

Note: The same recipe can be used for a 3-5 pound venison roast.

Tomorrow is the last day for Deer in Seneca County

photo courtesy of Keith G. Tidball

Tomorrow (December 21) is the last day to take a deer with a muzzle loader or bow in Seneca County.

The snowy, winter weather is perfect for enjoying venison stew which can also be made in a crock pot. Hopefully you have had a productive and memorable big game season this year.

Venison Stew

1.5 lb cubed venison meat (can cube a steak or roast if you do not have stew meat packaged)

6 medium potatoes washed and cut in half or quartered

1 medium onion, diced

1 c. diced carrot (large chunks or can use "baby" carrots)

1 c. diced celery

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 T. olive oil

1/4 cup flour (optional to season the flour with salt and pepper)

1 T. Italian season

salt and pepper to taste

1 t. Worcestershire sauce (optional)

1 T. balsamic vinegar (optional)

1.5 cups dry red wine or 12oz. of dark beer

1 can (about 14.5 oz) canned tomatoes (diced or whole)

4 T. fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees or turn on your crock pot. In a suitable braising pan (i.e. a deep pan with an oven-proof lid, such as a dutch oven) heat the 3 T. of olive oil over medium heat. Meanwhile lightly flour the venison cubes. Brown the floured venison cubes in the oil until nicely browned on all sides about 3-5 minutes. Remove venison from the pan and set aside on a plate. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and seasonings to the pan and gently brown your veggies for about 3 minutes. Add the wine, Worcestershire and vinegar to the pan and gently scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Turn off burner. Add potatoes and tomatoes and add venison meat back into the pan. Gently stir all ingredients to combine and season with salt and pepper (about 1tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper) and parsley (optional). Cover the braising dish and place in oven for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the meat is tender.

If using a crock pot: flour and brown the meat in the olive oil as explained above. Place browned meat in a crock pot. Add the wine or beer to the pan that the meat was browned in and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add this to the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients and leave it to cook all day (4 -5 hours on high setting or 8+ hours on low).

Pheasants until December 31

The hunting season is in full swing in Seneca County. If you have already tagged a big buck and/or have venison for the freezer, it could be fun to go out for pheasant. NYS DEC has some great information on the history of pheasant hunting, along with the regulations. Wild populations of pheasant can be hard to find, yet there are a few game preserves in the area that offer pheasant hunts, such as Whispering Pines.

Earlier in the season, a group of youth hunters went on a pheasant hunt and were then taught how to clean their birds and prepare "Pheasant Fingers". To read more about this hunt and see photos from the day's event go to Kuneytown Sportsmens Club website.

Here is the recipe for

Pheasant Fingers

2 T. flour
1-2 t. Cajun seasoning
1 lb. boneless, skinless pheasant breast cut into 3/4" strips
1 1/2 cups corn flake cereal
2 eggs

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet. Place flour and Cajun seasoning in resealable plastic bag. Place pheasant (3 to 4 strips at a time) in bag. Seal and shake to coat pheasant. Remove pheasant and lay on a plate. Place corn flakes in plastic bag and gently crush the cereal until you have finely crushed corn flakes. For "hot" fingers add 1/2 T. of Cajun seasoning. Lightly beat 2 eggs and place in shallow pan. Dip floured pheasant strips in egg and then place in corn flake bag and shake to coat pheasant evenly with corn flakes. Place pheasant on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until baked through and crispy on outside. Enjoy with your favorite barbecue sauce for dipping.

Wild Turkey

The fall season for wild turkey is only two weeks long in Seneca County and ended November 5th. However, it is still open in neighboring counties to the east (i.e. Cayuga) and to the south of Seneca (i.e. Tompkins). Check out NYS DEC's website for a map of turkey hunting seasons. The NYS DEC website also has tips for successful and safe turkey hunting.

Wild turkey is an awesome part of our Thanksgiving feast. However, it cannot be treated the same way as a domestic bird. I learned this the hard way, when the first year I simply roasted it like a typical Thanksgiving turkey and everyone pretended to like it while they chewed each tough bite for a long time! Here are some tenderizing tips for wild turkey:

1. Hang the bird to age and tenderize the meat-Start by field dressing your turkey (remove organs, entrails, and crop then rinse and pat dry these cavities). Hang the turkey by it's neck for 3-7 days in a cold location (35-45 degrees) in it's feathers.

2. Soak the turkey meat overnight in lightly salted, cold water- Once the turkey has aged, pluck the feathers and prepare it for a whole roasting turkey, or breast it. Place either the whole turkey or the breast meat in cold water that is lightly salted for about 8 hours or overnight. If you are just using the breast meat, soak it in the water in the refrigerator. If using the whole bird, a clean cooler with ice water works well. This has a similar effect to brining, though less salt is used (only 1-2 T per quart of water). Rinse the meat and wrap it tightly in butcher paper to freeze or cook it from here.

3. Cook properly- A roasting bag can help keep the turkey moist, along with basting or braising techniques. Do not overcook the turkey, but make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. USDA has a helpful fact sheet for safe turkey preparation.

Venison was highlighted at the Finger Lakes Cork and Fork local food event ...plus a duck recipe...

Over the weekend of October 22/23, Seneca County's Chamber of Commerce put on a great local food event, Finger Lakes Cork and Fork, featuring local food and wine, plus chef pairings to over 1,000 guests. The Wild Harvest Table was invited to participate with a display table and as one of seven chef demonstrations, making Venison "Veal" Cutlets paired with Standing Stone winery's 2007 Pinnacle wine. About 60 people were at the venison demonstration, ranging from wild game enthusiasts to "not sure if they like game". Many of the "not sure they liked wild game" people tried the venison cutlets and really liked the flavor. The chef from the DiVine Restaurant at the Hotel Clarence, which was recently awarded a four star rating, tried the venison (three times) and said it was "excellent!". Archery season for deer is in full swing now along with the rut, so hopefully you can serve this local food delicacy on your table soon!

A well-known local chef, Sam Izzo of Simply Red Bistro at Sheldrake Point, made a delicious braised duck at the Cork and Fork event with farm raised duck, yet it would work well with wild mallard or black duck. Duck season opened Oct 23 and runs through December 6th and reopens December 26th to January 9th in Seneca County. Check with NYS DEC for the season dates in other parts of NY. Below is Chef Izzo's duck recipe. Enjoy!

Chef Samantha Izzo of Simply Red Bistro at Sheldrake Point

Braised Duck with Sweet & Sour Cabbage

Wine: Pinot Noir from Sheldrake Point Winery

Feature Food: Duck

Serves 4

The Duck

INGREDIENTS:

1 4-5 pound duck, cleaned and left whole with skin on

1 cup prunes

1 tart apple

¼ cup oil

sprinkle of salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 450 degrees. Place duck on rack in a roasting pan. Fill the cavity with the apples and prunes. Sprinkle with oil and salt and pepper. Roast Duck for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees. Continue to roast about 1hour and 15 minutes. Allow duck to cool and remove the skin, pull off all the duck meat . You can pull off the cavity and keep to one side.

The Braised Cabbage

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsps oil

1 small chef onion sliced

1 tart apple sliced

8 cups of red cabbage sliced really thin

2 cups cider vinegar

½ cup cane sugar

1 tsp celery seed

1 cup thick slab bacon sliced

1 tsp salt

2 cups fennel sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients in a pot and simmer for an hour on medium heat. Add the duck meat to the braised cabbage and reheat slightly. Served topped with sour cream and chives.

Ruffed Grouse opens Oct 1!

Ruffed grouse season opens October 1st in Seneca County, and is already open in northern New York (i.e. Tug Hill and ADK's). According to NY DEC information on grouse hunting, "Each fall in New York about 75,000 hunters take to the field in pursuit of ruffed grouse making them the second most popular game bird behind wild turkeys. Despite declines in their numbers over the past 40 years, ruffed grouse are still common, particularly in younger forests, and provide excellent hunting opportunities." Grouse hunters are encouraged to participate in a Cooperator Ruffed Grouse Hunting Log and Ruffed Grouse Drumming Survey, both conducted through DEC, to help monitor grouse populations in the state. The Ruffed Grouse Society also has a wealth of information on the species.

Ruffed grouse have been called "Wild Chicken of the Adirondacks" or "road chicken" and indeed you can substitute wild caught grouse in most chicken recipes. Grouse roasts nicely and can also be sauteed (think Grouse Marsala). Keep in mind that grouse has less fat than domesticated chicken and is smaller, so cooking time may vary from a chicken recipe. Chicken recipes that cook with liquid (braising or sauces) are often a good way to cook grouse to insure moistness. The following recipe brings out all of the delicious flavor of grouse...

Braised Grouse with Bacon and Sage

4 boneless, skinless grouse breast halves

8 slices bacon

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup chopped shallot (or 1/4 cup red onion)

4 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon chopped sage

ground black or white pepper to taste

3 Tablespoons flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large, oven-proof skillet (i.e cast iron fry pan) fry the bacon until almost crisp but not overly browned, over medium-high heat. Remove bacon and set aside. Leave 1-2 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the pan and discard the rest. Place the grouse breasts in the pan and brown them quickly, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the grouse from the skillet and wrap each grouse breast with 2 pieces of bacon, securing them with a toothpick if necessary. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and scrape up any bits off the bottom of the skillet with a wooden utensil. Remove from heat and add the grouse back to the pan. Place the oven-proof skillet in the preheated oven and roast uncovered for 45 minutes. When done, remove the grouse from the pan and keep warm on a separate plate loosely covered with aluminum foil. Put the skillet on a burner over medium heat and whisk the flour into the pan juices, stirring constantly until thickened. Serve the pan gravy over the grouse breasts. This dish tastes excellent over wild rice. Serves 4.

If you have favorite grouse recipes of your own, please share them by posting a comment!