WILD GAME COOKOUT

with Billy Joe Cross

Wild game cooking guru Billy Joe Cross, author of seven wildlife cookbooks, including Cooking Wild Game & Fish Southern Style and From Duck Country: Ducks Unlimited Cookbook, shares recipes for seasonal venison and duck, essential savory side dishes, and even those dove breasts still in the freezer.

Sautéed Dove Breasts over Baked Grits

6 doves
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup Drambuie
Flour
Salt
Pepper

Remove dove breasts from bone and dredge in flour, salt and pepper. Sauté in melted butter (or margarine). Pour Drambuie in skillet and cover pan. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve over hot baked garlic cheese grits. Yields 4 servings

Baked Grits

1 cup grits, cooked according to directions
1 stick butter
1 roll garlic cheese
2 whole eggs, well beaten
Milk
Salt

While grits are hot, melt butter and cheese in it. Place eggs in measuring cup and add enough milk to make one cup. Add milk and eggs to grits mixture. Pour into a casserole dish and bake in a moderate oven about 30 minutes or until top is brown.

Deer Steak and Gravy

6 medium venison steaks, cut 1/2 inch thick
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, crushed
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 quart water

Pound the steaks with a meat mallet to tenderize. Combine flour, salt and pepper and coat steaks with mixture. Brown in hot oil in a Dutch oven then set meat aside. Pour off oil. Add onions, garlic, bouillon cubes and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and add browned meat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until gravy is thick. Yields 6 servings

Smoked Venison with White Crab Meat Sauce

Smoked Venison - 2 Loins or back straps
4 bacon strips
4 pounds charcoal
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Hickory chips (wet)
Charcoal Starter

Fry bacon and save drippings. Brush bacon drippings on venison. Sprinkle loins liberally with garlic salt. Start fire in water smoker. Add chips. Place water in smoker and fill to 3/4 full. Place meat on racks and lay a piece of fresh bacon on each loin. Cook for 45 minutes. Wrap each loin tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil and place into a sealed Styrofoam box or a fish cooler. Let remain in box for a minimum of one hour. Slice and serve.

White Crab Meat Sauce:

2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons flour (plain)
1 (4 1/2-ounce) can white crab meat, drained
1/2 pint whipping cream
3 tablespoons white wine
Dash of white pepper to taste

Melt margarine and add flour to make a roux. Add whipping cream and fold in crab meat. Add wine and white pepper. Cook until desired consistency. To serve, butterfly venison and spread on white crab meat sauce. Yields 6 servings



Baked Wild Rice Pilaf

1 1/2 cups wild rice
4 (10-ounce) cans beef consommé
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
1 cup heavy cream

Cook the rice in the consommé in a saucepan over medium-low heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Sauté the bell pepper, onion and mushrooms in margarine in a skillet until tender. Add to the rice and mix well. Spoon into a baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Yields 4 to 6 servings

Duck Spread

3 ducks, dressed
2 bay leaves
Dash of red pepper
Dash of black pepper
Dash of salt
2 cups mayonnaise
2 onions, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Combine the ducks, bay leaves, red pepper, black pepper, salt and water to cover in a pot or pressure cooker. Boil or pressure cook until the ducks are tender. Remove the ducks from the liquid. Skin, debone and finely chop or grind. Combine the duck, mayonnaise, onions, celery, chili powder and eggs in a large bowl and mix well. Serve with crackers or use as a sandwich spread. Yields 2 to 4 cups

Corn and Crab Chowder

1 pound fresh crab meat
1 (15-ounce) can cream corn (white)
3 large onions (white), chopped
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
1/2 stick margarine or butter
3 pints half and half
2 pints whole milk
Dash of white pepper to taste
Dash of salt to taste
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of potato soup (Campbell’s)
2 tablespoons corn starch
Dash of cayenne pepper to taste
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can water

Sauté onions in margarine. Cut cream cheese into small pieces, add and soften; add potato soup and water. Add other ingredients except corn starch. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Dissolve corn starch into small amount of cold water and add. Simmer five additional minutes. Yields 15 servings DM