| Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 1 Number 065 - December 14, 2001. Forum, Subscribe & Unsubscribe Information are at the end of this message. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Good Morning and welcome to Friday's Recipe Club! Today's recipes revolve around farm-raised game meats. If you are not into game meats, rest assured that these recipes can be duplicated using domestic beef, chicken, etc. In the last 15 years or so game meats have become very popular in many restaurants and there are many cookbooks on the subject. One of my favorites is called, American Game Cooking by John Ash and Sid Goldstein. Why eat game meats? Many times game meats have less fat and cholesterol and higher amounts of protein than do beef and chicken. And the flavors are wonderful. You can't compare the flavor of duck or pheasant to a chicken, or caribou or elk to beef. It's a whole new world of flavors and textures. I used to be a corporate chef for a company that sold wild game meat and exotic foods. I've prepared everything from alligator to rattlesnake. With a little care and some creative recipes, you can dish up some very inspired meals. This list of recipes is quite tame and like I said you could substitute beef or chicken if "You're Not Game" We'll be using a little duck, some elk and quail. If you aren't in a city where you can find these, check out these links: http://www.prairieharvest.com http://www.broadleafgame.com http://www.dartagnan.com or http://www.venisonamerica.com Got a favorite recipe using game meats that you'd like to share for next weeks Subscriber Recipe Club? Send it to me at dnelson@chef2chef.net and if we post it next week, I'll send you a Chef2Chef baseball cap for Christmas. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BIBB SALAD WITH SMOKED DUCK, MANDARIN ORANGES, AND PLUM CROUTONS Note: You've seen this dressing before. Eventually you WILL try it! Serves 4 Preparation :30 Cook :00 Stand :00 Total :30 2 heads Bibb lettuce 1 pound smoked duck breast, sliced 1/4 inch thick (approx. 16 pieces) 1 10 oz. can mandarin oranges, chilled and drained 2 plums, pitted and diced 1/4 inch 1/2 pint fresh raspberries 1 RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE (Recipe Below) Wash carefully in cold water enough Bibb lettuce to line four chilled salad plates about an inch high in the center. Arrange 4 pieces of sliced duck breast on top of the lettuce, in the center of the plate. Arrange the mandarin oranges, plum croutons and fresh raspberries around the duck. Top with raspberry vinaigrette just before serving. If you should have any leftover smoked duck, make yourself a smoked duck with grilled onion and melted Brie cheese sandwich on toasted rye bread. RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE Serves 4 Preparation :10 Cook :00 Stand :00 Total :10 This recipe is almost too simple to be this good! Tell your friends that you put in years of research to perfect it. 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar 2 tablespoons raspberry jelly, seedless 1/3 cup canola oil Blend the vinegar and the jelly in a covered blender for 10-15 seconds, then add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The sauce below is very versatile and easy to make. It's as tasty on an elk medallion as it is on any game bird or chicken. Simply season elk medallions with a little salt and pepper and quickly sear them over high heat until medium-rare, serve over a small pool of this sauce. If you would like to serve a mixed grill type dish, serve one of the quails along side your elk. The quail recipe is below. I personally like an Australian Shiraz with these two recipes. Rosemont Winery makes an affordable and tasty one! RED CURRANT RHUBARB SAUCE WITH PORT WINE Serves 4 Preparation :15 Cook :15 Stand :00 Total :30 This very simple but rich sauce can be made in larger batches right about the time the rhubarb is ready. It can be frozen or canned for later use. 2 cups rhubarb, peeled and diced 1/4 inch (about 1 lb. of rhubarb) 1 1/4 cups red currant jelly 1 tablespoon arrowroot 1 tablespoon port wine Thoroughly wash about 1 pound of fresh rhubarb and peel the fibrous outer layer off with a knife. Cut the stalks into small pieces, about 1/4-inch dice. Combine the rhubarb with the red currant jelly and cook over medium heat until reduced by about 1/3. Strain the rhubarb out of the sauce. You should have about 1 cup of liquid. If you have more, reduce over medium heat until the desired 1 cup is reached. Save the cooked rhubarb and chill it overnight. This can be served just like you would applesauce with a pork chop. Combine the port wine and arrowroot and stir out any lumps. Add the port mixture to the boiling rhubarb sauce and stir vigorously for 1 minute. Simmer for 2 minutes. Serve this sauce with grilled venison steaks or pheasant breasts. -------------------------------------------------------------- GRILLED QUAIL WITH JALAPENO PLUM SAUCE Note: I won first place in a cooking competition with this recipe years ago. Try it! Serves 4 Preparation :30 Cook 1:15 Stand :00 Total 1:45 The perfectly unusual blend of fruit, pepper, curry and soy will keep your quests talking about this sauce forever. The perfect glaze for any white meat and a most delightful dipping sauce for springrolls 8 each quail, semi-boneless 2 1/2 tablespoons soybean oil 1/3 cup red onions, small dice 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced 1/2 each jalapeno peppers, chopped (seeds and ribs removed) 1 1/2 pounds purple plums, pitted and diced small 1/2 tablespoon curry powder 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 each orange, juiced 2 each lemons, juiced In a heavy pot, cook red onion, garlic and jalapeno pepper in soy bean oil until tender. Add the plums and stir in the curry powder and allspice. Once the spices are dispersed, add the honey, soy sauce, plums, and the fruit juices. Cook over medium low heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes uncovered, stirring often. The consistency should be like a chunky tomato sauce. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Bottle and chill the sauce. This sauce can be made ahead of time and it freezes well. Brush both sides of the quail lightly with soybean oil and place them, breast side down, on a medium heated grill until the skin starts to bubble and brown a little. Turn them breast side up and baste liberally with Jalapeno Plum Sauce. Don't be afraid of the sauce being too spicy as most of the heat from the jalapeno comes from the discarded seeds and ribs. Continue to turn and baste the quail every couple minutes or so until the birds are firm and have a nice glaze on them, about 10 minutes depending on your grill. Serve them hot off the grill with a ramekin of the sauce on the side, place the Quail on a potato nest and garnish with three slices of fresh plum fanned out with a sprig of parsley for garnish. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS This year's Holiday Gift Ideas page has something for everyone on your list including yourself! You can find links to it all over the site or please just click the link below. Support the Chef2Chef vendors, they make all this possible! Happy Holidays from all of us. http://recipes.chef2chef.net/holiday-recipe-collection/ Today's Featured Sites are: * Chef Revival has over 700 culinary products for the home and professional chef. Uniforms, cutlery, Chef Care products, jewelry, tools and so much more. Let the chef in your life know how much you care. Give the best! * Chef2Chef Shop has some great new additions. Visit our libraries for discounted cookbooks, culinary and wine specific magazines and kitchen gadgets. You'll also find our new caps and aprons available for the Chef2Chef fan on your list. http://recipes.chef2chef.net/holiday-recipe-collection/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- POTATO NESTS Serves 8 Preparation :20 Cook :12 Stand :00 Total :32 3 small russet potatoes, peeled, shredded on a medium shred blade 1/2 egg, beaten 2 pinches salt 2 pinches pepper 2 pinches paprika 2 pinches parsley flakes 1 1/2 cups shortening Peel and shred the potatoes and pat dry to remove any water or moisture. Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl and add the whipped egg, along with the salt and pepper for taste; and paprika and parsley for color. Mix well, being careful not to break up the potato strands. Now comes the tricky part. You need to make eight nests or potato patties and lightly fry them in the shortening. To do this, melt the shortening in a frying pan. Dip a spatula into the shortening to lubricate it and place the potato patty on the spatula (it should look like a little nest with all the strands). Dip the patty SLOWLY into the heated oil and cook until golden brown (but not too crispy!). Place the cooked patty on a paper towel to drain. Repeat the procedure with the other seven. Save the shortening, as you will refry the nests to a crispy texture at service time. Store the cooked nests in the refrigerator until service time. Refry quickly to reheat and crisp just before service. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This basic compound butter can be made ahead of time. I like to use it on spaghetti squash. Pierce a spaghetti squash numerous times with a fork and microwave it on a large dish for about 10 minutes, until it is soft to the touch. Allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes before handling. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and such from the center. Then scrape the squash strands loose from the sides with a fork and place into a bowl. Toss this butter in and incorporate it into the squash. Wonderful. AMARETTO ALMOND BUTTER Serves 10 Preparation :05 Cook :08 Stand :30 Total :43 You should always have a roll of this versatile butter on hand. Perfect on trout, toasted bagels, fresh steamed beets or sugar snap peas, even corn on the cob. 1/4 pound butter, softened 2 tablespoons almonds, sliced 1 teaspoon amaretto Preheat oven to 350 degrees and toast almonds until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Watch them closely as they burn quickly. In a bowl, while the almonds are still warm from toasting, combine the butter, almonds and amaretto. Blend with a rubber spatula until almonds are equally distributed. Transfer to a piece of wax paper and roll up into a 1 1/2 tube and chill. Keep in your refrigerator or freezer and slice off in 1/2 inch slices. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- With a wild game dinner, you should always serve "Moose" for dessert! <G> WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH SWEDISH HUCKLEBERRY SAUCE Serves 6 Preparation :20 Cook :10 Stand 5:00 Total 5:30 Note: Huckleberry Sauce (Preserves) can be found in some specialty shops. You can substitute Lingonberry or Blueberry Preserves in this recipe. 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup cold water 1 cup huckleberry sauce 7 large egg yolks 8 ounces white chocolate 1 cup whipping cream Soften the gelatin, by sprinkling it into the cold water. Allow it to soften for 10 minutes. Put about 1 1/2 tablespoons of Huckleberry sauce into the bottom of 6 chilled wine glasses, making sure not to get the sauce on the side of the glass. Combine the egg yolks and gelatin/water in a double boiler and whisk briskly over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick enough to form soft peaks. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Place the white chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and heat on medium for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir with a fork. If the chocolate is thoroughly melted, fold it into the egg mixture. If not continue to melt in 10 second intervals, then fold. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the egg and chocolate mix with a rubber spatula. Carefully pour the mousse into the glasses over the huckleberry sauce. Chill for at least 5 hours. Overnight is better. Shopping Lists 2 heads Bibb lettuce 1 pound smoked duck breast 1 10 oz. can mandarin oranges 2 plums 1/2 pint fresh raspberries raspberry vinegar raspberry jelly, seedless 1/3 cup canola oil 8 each quail, semi-boneless Soybean oil 1 red onion Fresh garlic 1/2 each jalapeno pepper 1 1/2 pounds purple plums Curry powder Allspice Honey Soy sauce 1 each orange 2 each lemons 3 small russet potatoes 1 egg Salt Pepper Paprika Parsley flakes 1 1/2 cups shortening 1/4 pound butter, softened Almonds, sliced Amaretto 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 1 cup huckleberry sauce 7 large eggs 8 ounces white chocolate Whipping cream ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Simply the best daily recipe Club on the Web! Free delicious recipes delivered daily via email. 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