A Wild Menu

An outdoor adventure yields holiday dividends.

PHOTOS BY ADELE HODDE

The holidays are the perfect time to dazzle family and friends with some new main dishes prepared with game. Staff writer P.J. Perea, who is also the staff chef, shares some of his personal favorites with our readers.

Venison Shoulder Roast with Rosemary Potatoes

(Recipe by P.J. Perea)

1 venison shoulder roast, 5-7 pounds
2 large red or Vidalia onions, halved
8 to 12 ounces of carrots, cut into 2-inch sections
8 to 12 ounces of celery stalks, cut into 2-inch sections
2 whole red peppers, halved
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups port wine
2 cups beef stock
6 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
Kosher salt or coarse salt
Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 325-350° F. Generously season shoulder roast with salt and pepper. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil on medium/high setting. Sear roast throughly on all sides to seal exposed meat. Reserve liquid. Transfer to roasting pan. Add onions, carrots, celery, red peppers, port wine and beef stock. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil with reserved liquid. Add chopped garlic and saute until lightly browned. This garlic-flavored oil will be used to baste roast.

Seal roast with foil or roasting pan cover. Baste every 30-45 minutes. Depending upon size and desired doneness, roast will require 1 1/2 to 3 hours of cooking. Use meat thermometer and meat guide (see below). Generally, the longer the meat cooks, the more tender the roast.

Remove from oven about 5°-10° F before desired doneness and let stand. The roast will continue to cook from the internal heat absorbed during the roasting process. Recover roasting pan juices and transfer to sauce pan. Reduce sauce to about 1 to 1 1/2 cups and add butter to finish.

Slice roast and coat lightly with sauce. Serve with orange-cranberry sauce, roasted vegetables and rosemary potatoes. Serves 4 to 8.

Meat Guide- Rare: 140° F or 60° C; Medium Rare:
145° F or 63° C; Medium: 160° For 71° C; Well Done:
170° F or 77° C; Very Well Done: 180° F or 82° C.

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Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

(Recipe by P.J. Perea)

4 red new potatoes
4 small/medium Yukon Gold potatoes
Olive oil
Kosher salt or coarse salt
Fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 325-350° F. Wash potatoes and let dry. Stick each potato once with a fork to allow steam to escape and prevent potato skins from bursting. Lightly coat each of the potatoes with olive oil and transfer to baking pan. Sprinkle each potato with salt and fresh rosemary leaves. Roast potatoes for 45-60 minutes. Fork should slide easily through center of potato when done.

Cranberry Sauce

(Recipe by P.J. Perea)

1 bag fresh cranberries (12-16 ounces)
2 oranges, peeled, seeded and cubed
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. grated orange zest

Place sugar in non-reactive pot and heat over low flame until it melts. Add cranberries, juice and orange chunks. Stir often and simmer over low/medium flame until sauce starts to thicken (approximately 30 minutes). Add orange zest when sauce is about finished and allow to cool.

Rabbit Fricassee with Mushrooms

(Recipe by P.J. Perea)

1 medium-sized rabbit, quartered (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 can tomato sauce (8-12 ounces)
1 cup chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound fresh mushrooms (wild ones if you can find them!)
2 bay leaves
1 large yellow onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix flour, salt and pepper and place in bowl. Moisten rabbit with water and dredge pieces in seasoned flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat.

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OutdoorIllinois

Brown rabbit pieces and set aside. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add chopped onions, bay leaves and garlic. Cook until onions are soft and translucent. Add tomato sauce, chicken stock and mushrooms. Heat until mixture simmers. Remove from heat. Transfer browned rabbit pieces to baking pan and coat with sauce. Bake rabbit and sauce in foil-covered pan for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until meat comes off the bone easily. Serve with steamed vegetables and steamed white or flavored wild rice. Serves 2.

Squirrel Pot Pie

(Recipe by Betty Carroll)

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
4 cups beef bouillon
fresh ground pepper
1 whole skinned squirrel
1 can Mexican-style mixed vegetables (12 ounces)
1 tbsp. cornstarch
Pie crusts for 9-inch pie (top and bottom)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Boil onion, celery, garlic, bouillon, pepper and whole squirrel until meat easily comes off the bone. Remove squirrel meat from bones and set aside. Reserve one cup of stock for pie filling. Place bottom crust in pie pan. In a large bowl, mix squirrel meat, Mexican-style mixed vegetables, squirrel broth stock and cornstarch. Stir well and fill pie shell. Cover filled pie with second pie crust, pinch edges and cut steam vents in top. Bake for one hour or until pie crust is well-browned. Serve hot with fresh garden salad. Serves 4.

Mandarin Orange Salad

(Recipe by P.J. Perea)

Salad
2 mandarin oranges peeled, seeded and segmented
1 bag fresh salad mix (12-16 ounces)
2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts (optional)

Dressing
1 ounce fresh orange juice
4 segments of mandarin oranges
1 ounce red wine vinegar
6 ounces olive oil
1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix salad and oranges in bowl and set aside. Mix the dressing ingredients and blend with food processor until smooth. Add to salad, toss and serve cold.

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