Wild Game Dinner. December 8, 2015.
For December, Diva N challenged the Divas to a dinner featuring wild game. She was inspired to choose this theme after a delicious dinner at Diva K's Rustic Lodge, which then brought to mind an amazing and memorable dinner N once had at the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park in South Dakota. The Lodge, which was the "Summer White House" for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the restaurant menu features adventurous and delicious dishes incorporating wild game. When Diva N dined there, she had rabbit & rattlesnake sausage, pheasant spring rolls, deviled quail eggs, and bison steak, and she was hoping to re-create the fun of that dining experience. The Divas played on both the "wild" and the "game" aspects of the theme, with "wild" turkey cocktails, "wild" rice salad, and "wild" blueberry dessert, in addition to appetizers featuring venison (shot by Diva S's brother!) and a rabbit entree. Yum.
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Venison Jalapeño Poppers
(From Farm Bell Recipes)
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Pappardelle with Long-Cooked Rabbit Sugo
Recipe courtesy of Lidia Bastianich, Lidia's Family Table
Ingredients:
1 rabbit, about 3 1/2 pounds, cut up (or 6 rabbit legs)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup celery cut in 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup carrot cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, peeled
10 big fresh basil leaves (1/4 cup packed)
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
6 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. peperoncino flakes,
6 cups poultry or vegetable stock, as needed, heated
freshly ground black papper, to taste
Recommended Equipment:
A food processor
A large heavy-bottomed saute pan, wide enough to hold the rabbit pieces in 1 layer, with a cover
Preparation:
Trim the rabbit pieces of any fat, rinse them well, and pat dry.
Using the food processor, mince the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and basil for 14-20 seconds, to a paste (pestata).
Season the rabbit pieces all over with 1/2 tsp. salt. Pour the olive oil into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, and set over medium heat. Lay all the meat in the pan, and let the pieces caramelize gradually, turning them every couple of minutes, until lightly browned on all sides, 6-8 minutes.
Scrape the pestata and stir it around the pan, tumbling the rabbit pieces over to coat them with the paste. Sprinkle in the peperoncino and keep stirring, scraping up the browned bits on the pan bottom and sides, as the pestata steams and sizzles.
When the pestata is dry and starting to stick in the pan, pour in 2 cups or so of hot stock, almost to cover the meat. Sprinkle in 1/2 tsp. of salt. Bring the liquid to a boil, adjust the heat to keep it perking gently, and cook partially covered, occasionally turning the rabbit pieces and stirring up the seasonings. As the liquid reduces, stir in another cup of hot stock every 20 minutes or so. Cook 1 1/2 hours or more until the rabbit meat is quite tender; then turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the sugo cool completely.
Remove the rabbit pieces from the braising juices, and pull all the meat off the bones. Discard bones and cartilage, shred the meat in bite-sized morsels, and stir it back in the juices. Add more stock so the sauce has a flowing consistency, heat to a simmer, and cook for another 15 minute or longer, until the meat is moist and melded with the sauce. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
While the sauce is hot, toss in pappardelle. Or cool the sauce to use later; thin it with stock when re-heating.
Recipe courtesy of Lidia Bastianich, Lidia's Family Table
Ingredients:
1 rabbit, about 3 1/2 pounds, cut up (or 6 rabbit legs)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup celery cut in 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup carrot cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, peeled
10 big fresh basil leaves (1/4 cup packed)
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
6 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. peperoncino flakes,
6 cups poultry or vegetable stock, as needed, heated
freshly ground black papper, to taste
Recommended Equipment:
A food processor
A large heavy-bottomed saute pan, wide enough to hold the rabbit pieces in 1 layer, with a cover
Preparation:
Trim the rabbit pieces of any fat, rinse them well, and pat dry.
Using the food processor, mince the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and basil for 14-20 seconds, to a paste (pestata).
Season the rabbit pieces all over with 1/2 tsp. salt. Pour the olive oil into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, and set over medium heat. Lay all the meat in the pan, and let the pieces caramelize gradually, turning them every couple of minutes, until lightly browned on all sides, 6-8 minutes.
Scrape the pestata and stir it around the pan, tumbling the rabbit pieces over to coat them with the paste. Sprinkle in the peperoncino and keep stirring, scraping up the browned bits on the pan bottom and sides, as the pestata steams and sizzles.
When the pestata is dry and starting to stick in the pan, pour in 2 cups or so of hot stock, almost to cover the meat. Sprinkle in 1/2 tsp. of salt. Bring the liquid to a boil, adjust the heat to keep it perking gently, and cook partially covered, occasionally turning the rabbit pieces and stirring up the seasonings. As the liquid reduces, stir in another cup of hot stock every 20 minutes or so. Cook 1 1/2 hours or more until the rabbit meat is quite tender; then turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the sugo cool completely.
Remove the rabbit pieces from the braising juices, and pull all the meat off the bones. Discard bones and cartilage, shred the meat in bite-sized morsels, and stir it back in the juices. Add more stock so the sauce has a flowing consistency, heat to a simmer, and cook for another 15 minute or longer, until the meat is moist and melded with the sauce. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
While the sauce is hot, toss in pappardelle. Or cool the sauce to use later; thin it with stock when re-heating.
Wild Rice Cranberry Pecan Salad Recipe
- 1 cup brown and wild rice, mixed
- 2 1/3 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp butter
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup sliced scallions
- 1 T lemon juice
- 2 T olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp grated orange peel
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Bring rice, salt, butter, and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 50 minutes. Do not stir. Do not uncover. Remove from stove and let sit, covered for 10 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and let cool to almost room temperature.
In a medium serving bowl, mix rice, cranberries, pecans, and scallions.
In a jar, mix lemon juice, olive oil, orange peel, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, mix rice and dressing. Serve warm, chilled, or room temperature.
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/wild_rice_cranberry_pecan_salad/#ixzz3zsKpUMMk
WILD TURKEY AND DRY
Courtesy of the Wild Turkey website.
So, there is something funny about putting the 8-month pregnant lady in charge of cocktails, but when choosing courses everyone had lots of good ideas and I had lots of meetings that morning when the email was going around. I was a little concerned because I am not a great cocktail maker and while I'll have the occasional bit of wine, I do draw the line at liquor so I wouldn't be taste testing anything. My specialty is opening wine and champagne and then pouring. I am VERY good at that. However, once I remembered that there was booze called WILD TURKEY, I basically felt like this task was handed to me on a silver platter. Then I went to Wild Turkey website to see what they had for ideas and I came across this. One of my absolute favorite cocktails is a Dark and Stormy. Here is their take on that. I'd say this was a win/win situation. Everyone was happy and I enjoyed my Ginger Beer with Lime.
Ingredients:
30ml Wild Turkey Bourbon (I just filled a shot glass, I have no idea if that was right, but everyone said it was good!)
Fresh Limes
Ginger beer
Directions: Simply pour Wild Turkey over ice in a large tumbler glass. Squeeze 4-6 lime wedges over ice, and top up with Ginger Beer or Dry Ginger
Courtesy of the Wild Turkey website.
So, there is something funny about putting the 8-month pregnant lady in charge of cocktails, but when choosing courses everyone had lots of good ideas and I had lots of meetings that morning when the email was going around. I was a little concerned because I am not a great cocktail maker and while I'll have the occasional bit of wine, I do draw the line at liquor so I wouldn't be taste testing anything. My specialty is opening wine and champagne and then pouring. I am VERY good at that. However, once I remembered that there was booze called WILD TURKEY, I basically felt like this task was handed to me on a silver platter. Then I went to Wild Turkey website to see what they had for ideas and I came across this. One of my absolute favorite cocktails is a Dark and Stormy. Here is their take on that. I'd say this was a win/win situation. Everyone was happy and I enjoyed my Ginger Beer with Lime.
Ingredients:
30ml Wild Turkey Bourbon (I just filled a shot glass, I have no idea if that was right, but everyone said it was good!)
Fresh Limes
Ginger beer
Directions: Simply pour Wild Turkey over ice in a large tumbler glass. Squeeze 4-6 lime wedges over ice, and top up with Ginger Beer or Dry Ginger
Wild Blueberry Upside Down Cake
Courtesy of Martha
Courtesy of Martha
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for souffle dish
- 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries, picked over and cleaned
- 3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1-quart, 5 1/2-inch-diameter souffle dish. Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter into the souffle dish. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons brown sugar over butter. Scatter 1 cup blueberries over sugar. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons butter, remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, and the egg. Whisk the milk into the egg mixture. Add flour mixture; whisk until batter is smooth.
- Pour half the batter into souffle dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup blueberries over batter. Spread remaining batter over blueberries. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean of batter, about 45 minutes. Immediately unmold cake, inverting it onto a serving dish. Serve warm with whipped cream if desired.