FROM time to time we are introduced to new, great and wonderful things and when it comes to food, this can make for exciting dining experiences – be it out at great restaurant or in the comfort of your own kitchen. Game and its consumption can be one of those very great things, foodie or not, that we all should try. Thankfully, I have sampled a variety but this is not about me and what I have eaten, it’s about getting you and those of you who have never tried it, to sample and savour its delights.
Last November, I had the pleasure of joining one of the UK’s finest authorities on game and while José Souto might have traces of his beloved Spain coursing through his blood, it is the fruitful bounty from local countryside that excites the game expert and culinary arts chef lecturer at Westminister Kingsway College in London. I joined José for a day long seminar where a full and in-depth introduction into a wide variety of game, including six deer and game of the feathered and fur varieties.
A man with Spanish roots but very much rooted in English country life, José’s love of game and falconry has allowed him excel in his field, pardon the pun.
A former student of the college in which he now lectures, José Souto has become an authoritative figure in game cookery and takes the approach of not just teaching the chefs of tomorrow but in fact, helping the man and woman on the street about how to cook and include game in their diet. His teachings have branched into Ireland and are regularly consulted on the topic by professionals here. José’s career spans over two decades and a bit, but his industry experience and love of food are telling of their time. He is on twitter @wildfoodboy
So, why should we eat game? Like everyone that has sampled and savoured game, José points to a couple of key factors. “It’s wild, natural, healthy, but above all, it tastes great”.
That is true and the recipes shared here from the BASC (British Association for Shooting and Conservation) are testament to that.
With its availability becoming more widespread and the increase in people taking up an interest in game hunting or game keeping, the health benefits of including the likes of venison in your diet have been highlighted in many studies. Venison has less fat than chicken, but cooked with care and skill, can be juicier than anything else. There are no artificial feeds for game because their diet is naturally wild and that can further enhance the flavours and tastes experienced.
The majority of game is local, and that counts for an awful lot in the modern carbon filled world we live in.
As his seminar closed, José summed it up perfectly, “All food has a story to tell and we should know what that story is, not only as chefs but as consumers of supermarkets, shops and restaurants.
“We can better understand our food, its provenance and how truly special it is”.
Barbecued haunch of venison with a rosemary garlic and olive oil seasoning
6 portions (depending on size of haunch)
WHAT YOU NEED
1 venison haunch open boned and butterflied
Half a bunch rosemary
3 large cloves garlic
1 pack Maldon Salt
175 ml olive oil
WHAT TO DO
Just because it is the middle of winter, don’t for one minute think that the BBQ can’t be used, but if it is buried in the shed or the garage, use a good heavy based pan and work from there.
Take the haunch and cut the shank off at the joint, keep this for another day as this is too tough to cook on a BBQ. Open-bone the thigh by cutting down on to the bone and following it then cut around it.
Once the bone is out place a cut either side of where the bone had been to flatten out the venison and make it all one thickness. (Ask your butcher to do this for you if you have any problems).
Place the thyme, garlic, olive oil and salt into a liquidiser and blitz to make a paste.
Use Maldon salt as it has large flaky crystals that make a good paste without making the meat too salty.
Take the marinade and rub well in to all the venison.
Place venison into a plastic bag and pour the rest of the marinade over it, then tie a knot in the bag and leave for two hours or place in your fridge overnight.
If you have placed it in the fridge over night take it out and allow to sit for an hour or so.
Light the BBQ and allow to get hot in the case of charcoal allow to burn until white.
Scrape off the marinade from the venison.
Place the venison onto the BBQ and seal well on both sides, then remove from BBQ.
Take a large square of foil doubled over four times with the shiny side out to reflect a little heat.
Place the foil in the centre of the BBQ and then place the venison on top. Close the BBQ lid and allow to cook, turning after 15 to 20 minutes then turn and then cook for a further 10 to 15 min.
Venison should be cooked to rare or medium then allowed to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Roast crown of Mallard with an orange and redcurrant glaze
WHAT YOU NEED
1 Mallard duck whole
1 pint of game or chicken stock
1 carrot
half an onion
2 sage leaves
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 glass red wine
1 orange
1 large teaspoon red current jelly
Salt and pepper
WHAT TO DO
Take the duck and remove the parsons and preen gland by chopping them off as this can make your sauce bitter if not removed.
Cut both legs off and remove the wish bone. This will give you a crown of duck i.e. two breasts still attached to the bone.
Chop the legs up season and fry them to give them good colour.
Remove the bones from the pan and then fry the roughly chopped carrot, onion and crushed garlic again to give it good colour.
Once all veg. and bones are coloured drain away excess fat and return everything to pan adding tomato purée and cooking out for five minutes before adding a glass of red wine, reducing this by half and then the game or chicken stock.
Bring this to the boil, season and then simmer.
Take the juice of one orange and mix with the red current jelly this will be your glaze later.
Seal and season the duck crown in a pan with a very small amount of hot oil, allowing the skin and fat to render down and colour.
Place duck in the oven for 20 minutes at 200degC for five minutes then down to 180degC for the rest of the time. Five minutes before the end, brush the duck with the glaze two or three times allowing the duck to go back into the oven each time.
Remove the duck from the oven and place it on a plate allowing it to rest for 5 min. You can cook the duck longer if you wish it to be more well done but beware the more you cook it, the tougher it will become.
Take the tray the duck was cooking on in the oven and place it on the stove top. Remove any excess fat and add the stock bring to boil washing all the flavour from the bottom of the tray.
Strain the gravy and if need be, place it in a sauce pan to reduce further to your required consistency, skimming any fat from the top of the gravy.
Serve the duck with roast potatoes cooked in duck fat and a selection of vegetables.
