Review: Wild Gourmet

A cookbook can act as an agent of social change with the practices it inspires. This might be the case with Wild Gourmet, which illustrates the next logical step in the sustainable food movement with its 60-plus recipes for wild game, fish, and fowl. Whether harvested in the wild or sourced from a local butcher, the meat that is curated within these pages can help a bon vivant forge a true connection to his or her food. The first step is tracing the origin of the protein—the engine of life—not to Styrofoam supermarket trays but to the verdant forest.

Wild Gourmet comes to us from Boone and Crockett Club, a conservation outfit founded in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt and other sportsmen. From soup stock to wild boar porchetta, the recipes originate from a wide range of game cooks and notable chefs: Michael Chiarello, Daniel Boulud, Emeril Lagasse, and Hank Shaw are a few such luminaries. Famed winemaker Marc Mondavi lends further flair by suggesting wine pairings for each recipe. The contributing chefs help to demystify wild meats with secrets that simmer with remarkable expertise. Inside the pages are practical tips, like how to differentiate an old squirrel, which has tought meat, from a tender juvenile. Kitchen-bound dilettantes take note: The same recipe for braised squirrel aurora—seen below—can be prepared with chicken thighs instead.

Half of the book is devoted to the processing techniques used to butcher large game, small game, fish, and fowl. The vivid photos offer up step-by-step designs on skinning and butchering for newcomers. Chef Daniel Nelson also chimes in with freezing tips, food safety measures, and nutritional information. For example, he says that black bear is loaded with vitamin A . . . who knew? As a bonus, the book includes a double-sided wild game poster that labels various cuts.

Taming wild meat in the kitchen can foster a type of do-it-yourself pride. Much like growing a vegetable garden, it connects people to the pure goodness of the wilderness. Wild Gourmet helps complete the journey from nature’s bounty, to masterly cuts, to profound, elegant dishes. Take Chef Nelson’s advice: “Choose to make dinner one of your core connections to hunting, and with time and experience you will begin to serve some of the best stories of your life.”

Braised Squirrel Aurora by Hank Shaw

INGREDIENTS (serves four)

• 3 squirrels, cut into serving pieces, or 1 rabbit, or 3 chicken thighs
• 5 Cloves garlic
• ¼ Cup almonds
• 25 Green olives
• Flour for dusting
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Large onion
• 1 Small hot chile, minced
• 1 Cup white wine
• ½ Cup chicken broth, rabbit or other light broth
• 1 Pound fingerling potatoes (optional) Parsley for garnish

If you have an old squirrel, which you can tell by the teeth (yellowy and separated), or by the ears (tattered), or by the feet (well-worn), braising is a must. Squirrels can live several years, unlike cottontail rabbits, which typically only last a year or so. This makes their meat a bit more complex and considerably denser. But an old squirrel can be tough if not braised.

I almost always cook squirrels with some sort of nut sauce. Call me macabre. This recipe is an adaptation of a Spanish rabbit dish I found in Penelope Casas’ Delicioso! The Regional Cooking of Spain, which I highly recommend. It’s a luxurious, thick stew that cries out for crusty bread. The combination of almonds and olives is also a hit.

Figure on one Eastern gray squirrel per person. Or you can use 2 fox squirrels or Western grays to feed 3 people, or 1 cottontail for two people. If you are not a hunter, 1 domestic rabbit will feed 2 to 3 people. And yes, you can use chicken thighs and legs, too.

PREP TIME 15 minutes COOK TIME 2 hours

1. Toast the almonds in a dry pan if they are not already roasted. Pound them with the garlic cloves and a pinch of salt in a mortar; you could also buzz them in a food processor or chop them fine by hand. Pit and slice the olives in half or chop roughly.

2. Pour the olive oil in a Dutch oven or brazier—something ovenproof with a lid—and heat it over medium-high heat. Salt the squirrel or rabbit and roll it in the flour. Brown the meat on all sides over medium heat.

Take your time and do this in batches so you do not crowd the pan. Remove the meat from the pot as it browns and set it aside.

3. While the squirrel is browning, slice the onion in half. Grate one half through a coarse grater, and roughly chop the other half. You could also slice it in half-moons.

4. When all the meat is browned, add the white wine and broth and scrape off any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring this to a rolling boil. Here is a tricky part: You want to cook it down to the point where when you put the meat back into the pot, the liquid comes up only about halfway. You do not want to submerge your meat. How long you’ll need to boil depends on the size of your pot.

5. When the liquid is boiling, add the almond-garlic mixture, the chile and the grated onion. Mix well and let boil for a minute. Add the squirrel back to the pot. Make sure it is not totally submerged. Halfway is ideal. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 45 minutes.

6. After 45 minutes, take the pot out and add the sliced onion, the olives and the potatoes. Mix everything together. If the stew looks too dry, add a little more broth—but remember this is a “dry stew,” not a soup. I eat this with a fork and a piece of bread, not a soup spoon. Add just enough broth to keep everything from drying out. Cover the pot again and return to the oven for at least another 45 minutes, maybe an hour. Check the meat and potatoes: The squirrel should be thinking about falling off the bone and the potatoes should be cooked through. When this is done, turn the heat off and let it cool—covered—for 10 minutes on the stovetop.

TO SERVE

Spoon out portions and garnish with parsley. Serve with crusty bread. 

Wild Gourmet: Naturally Healthy Game, Fish and Fowl Recipes for Everday Chefs, Boone and Crockett Club, 272 pages, $34.95 or $27.95 for members. Buy it at Boone and Crockett Club.