Modern Wild Man ~ Creamed Pheasant

Modern Wild Man

Creamed Pheasant - A family tradition and favorite!

Creamed pheasant with a side of mashed potatoes and cheesy broccoli.

Upland Pheasant is one of the finest table fairs either domestic or wild.  I grew up hunting pheasants on the western plains of Kansas and the pheasant hunt wass more of a right of passage and a tradition than just a pastime or hobby.  When the north wind blows from a November sky my thoughts often turn to the sight and sound of a flushing rooster pheasant, if only in my mind. 

The holiday season is in full force and folks are meeting and sharing and eating together.  Try out this recipe that I first learned to make from my great grandmother as one of our family traditions.  This is a stomach and heart warming dish to share the bounty of a hunt with friends and family.

If you are in the mood to read about my recent pheasant opener check it out here!

Happy Hunting!

Modern Wild Man Creamed Pheasant

Ingredients~

boneless skinless breast from two pheasant

2 C all purpose flour

1 T Old Bay seasoning

2 t Kosher Salt

Several grinds fresh black pepper

2 t Garlic Powder

2 t Onion Powder 

1 gallon zip top bag

Canola Oil

1 Pint heavy  cream

All the fixings for creamed pheasant.

The pheasant breast should be cleaned and trimmed of any connective tissue, feathers or skin.  Cut tenders about 3/8" thick long ways and across the grain.  Pat the cut pheasant strips dry on all sides with a clean paper towel or two.

Add the flour, Old Bay, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper into the zip top bag and mix well. 

In a heavy dutch or deep cast iron skillet pour in the canola oil and turn on the heat to medium or medium high.  I like to use a thermometer and bring the oil up to around 350 - 360 degrees.

When the oil is hot and ready to go, drop the cut pheasant strips into the zip top bag with the seasoned flour for a good shake, rub and shake again.  Add the coated pheasant pieces to the hot oil and be careful not to get splattered.  Don't overcrowd the pan, it may take two or three pan fulls to get all the pheasant pieces done.

Use a pair of tongs or a fry spider to gently turn the pheasant pieces as they brown.  If the heat stays right around the 350 mark the tenders will be done to perfection when they are golden brown on all sides.

As the pheasant strips brown move them out of the hot oil and onto a paper towel or screen rack to drain the excess oil.  Move new pieces into the skillet until all the pheasant is cooked golden and draining on a paper towel.

Next, either pour off the leftover oil you fried your pheasant in, or get a new heavy pan out.  On low heat line the pan with all the browned pheasant pieces you just finished frying.  You might have to work to squeeze them all in, but try and make them fit.  Finally, pour over all the warm pieces of breaded and fried pheasant the heavy cream.  Try and get a good coating on all the pheasant and let it run all around the bottom of the pan.

Slowly cook the pheasant in heavy cream over low / medium low heat until it warms through and thickens to your liking.  Salt and pepper the finished skillet to your liking.

Creamed pheasant is a hearty comforting dish that makes its own gravy to pour over mashed potatoes.

Breaded and fried pheasant in heavy cream.

Serve with a fresh garden salad, a side of mashed potatoes, green beans or broccoli and you've got a meal to write home about!

Thanks for checking out this recipe, be sure to check out my other posts here: Modern Wild Man

If you want to read more about upland hunting here are a couple posts about quail hunting in Kansas:

Modern Wild Man ~ A perfect Saturday

Modern Wild Man ~ The Northern Bobwhite

-Don't forget to check me out on social media-

Like Modern Wild Man on Facebook                          Follow Modern Wild Man on Twitter

~See you out there ~

Modern Wild Man and Meg on a great pheasant hunt!

Modern Wild Man ~Elk Steak on the Grill~

Modern Wild Man

Rib Eye Elk Steaks on the Grill  

The bounty of the hunt is an amazing way to celebrate our time outdoors and to honor the game we pursue.  As hunters and outdoorsmen we become conversationalists, biologists and protectors of the wildlife we pursue.  At Modern Wild Man we strive to use every part of the animal that we can, and to nourish our family's body and soul.

Check out a Modern Wild Man elk hunting story here!

Steaks on the grill are pretty darn hard to beat.  These elk steaks were cut from the rib eye, or back strap, as it is often referred to.  This recipe could easily be adapted to venison, bear or even antelope. 

Modern Wild Man Elk Steaks

Ingredients-

4 or 5 rib eye elk steaks 8 to 12 ounces each

1 T olive oil

1/2 C Worcestershire sauce 

1 t liquid smoke

1/4 C balsamic vinegar

1 t seasoned salt

1 gallon zip top bag

Steaks should be cleanly cut and trimmed of any excess fat and connective tissue.  Start with steaks that are completely thawed.  Add the steaks to the zip top bag and all the marinate ingredients.  Give everything a nice shake, mix, rub.  Stow the bag with the steaks in a bowl to catch any leaks in the bottom of the fridge for at least four hours, overnight is better.

When you are ready for grilling magic, set the bowl with the steaks in a bag out to bring to room temperature.  Heat your grill to 400 - 500 degrees and lay those beautiful slabs of goodness on the grill with a sizzle.  Lay them on the grill and don't touch them, flip them, push or poke them.  Let em grill that side down for a good 3 to 5 minutes depending on how well done you like them.  

I prefer my steak rare to medium rare.  Three minutes on one side and a flip for three minutes is about right for me.  Depending on how thick you cut your steaks and how hot your grill is and stays will determine your cooking time.  My advice, pull them about a minute or two before you think they are done.

Put the steaks on a plate or cookie sheet that has been warmed in the oven at 200 degrees or so and cover the whole thing with foil.  Let those delicious medallions rest, all those incredible juices will redistribute in the meat and not run all over your plate.  Set the table, dish up the sides, say grace, have a toast, but let those steaks rest for a minute or two at least.

Here is the key to serving wild game that is grilled well.  If you can, try and set the table with warm plates right from the dishwasher.  You know when you first open a finished dishwasher cycle and steam rolls out like a volcano.  Grab a clean hot pad or tea towel and set your dinner table with hot plates and slide gorgeously grilled steaks that had resting time onto them.

Serve up a side like steamed or grilled veggies, a sweat potato and maybe some course grated horse radish on the side and you have a meal fit for a king.  

The next time you are processing the gift of a filled big game tag, save those steaks.  Use this recipe to grill up a family favorite!  You can thank the Modern Wild Man later ~

~ Eat Wild ~   

Check out Modern Wild Man's other blog posts here:

https://modernwildman.blogspot.com/

Like Modern Wild Man elk recipes - check out Sunday Stew.

Modern Wild Man on Facebook                                   Modern Wild Man on Twitter

Modern Wild Man ~ Elk Tacos ~

Modern Wild Man

Crockpot Elk Tacos, enjoying last fall's bounty.

The fall and winter hunting seasons are over for the year, and outdoorsmen are looking forward to springtime adventure.  Turkey hunts, crappie fishing and spring morels are the quest for outdoorsmen this time of year.  Reaching into the freezer to last season's bounty to create tasty meals this spring and summer is a great way to help relive the hunt.

This recipe for elk roast tacos is a personal favorite with a little bit of spice and brightness of fresh herbs and lime.

If you're into Elk hunting, be sure to read the Modern Wild Man post ~ Call of Wapiti~ here!

Modern Wild Man Crockpot Elk Tacos

Ingredients-

1 Elk roast 3 to 4 pounds.

1 T olive oil

1 large white or yellow onion diced

4 cloves crushed fresh garlic

2 cups washed dried pinto beans soaked overnight

1 T ground cumin

2 t cayenne pepper

2 t salt

1 - 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies with liquid

32 ounces of beef broth

2 bay leaves

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 fresh lime quartered

1/2 C shredded cheese

tortillas of choice

salt and pepper to taste




Start your tacos by searing the elk roast on very high heat in a heavy iron skillet.  Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and put the skillet on high heat.  Salt and pepper the elk roast and then sear the roast on all sides.

Add the seared roast into a large crockpot.  Pour the 2 cups of soaked pinto beans drained, onion, and garlic over and around the roast.  Add the canned tomato with liquid, bay leaves, cumin, salt and cayenne to the crockpot and stir around the roast.  Pour over the beef broth and give it one last stir.  Turn the heat to low for eight hours, or high for five hours.

Once the roast is done cooking in the crockpot remove it from the beans and tomatoes and slice or shred the roast for tacos.  Using a slotted spoon, spoon out the beans and tomatoes for a great seasoned bean side to go with your tacos.

Serve the slow cooked elk meat on tortillas with a fresh squeeze of lime, a few sprigs of cilantro and some shredded cheese.  An elk roast taco with fresh cilantro and citrusy lime juice alongside slow cooked seasoned beans, and maybe some spanish rice makes for a great change of pace for the wild game dinner table.  


Modern Wild Man on Facebook                             Modern Wild Man on Twitter

Modern Wild Man ~Quail and Dumplings~

Modern Wild Man

Quail and Dumplings will warm your stomach and your soul.

Egg dumplings ready to be cut.

One of the project goals here at Modern Wild Man is to pass on tried and true recipes for wild game.  Bringing home meals for your family, providing and cooking are eternal and prehistoric needs of man.  At Modern Wild Man we prefer to bring protein home from the wild; from fresh air and clean water, not laid out on pink styrofoam wrapped in plastic.

Quail and dumplings is a family favorite at our house.  This dish is iconic, it's one that grandma used to make.  A pot of quail and dumplings stewing quietly on a stove top in the family kitchen is like a warm fire or a cozy blanket, wrapping you in warmth and security.  I think this dish could be used as a definition for "comfort food".  I hope you have the opportunity to bring the savory smells of warm stewing quail, and the comfort of homemade dumplings into your kitchen and home. 

This recipe is easily scaled depending on the number of folks you are feeding, or the number of quail in your game vest.  I usually figure one quail per person, and one egg and a cup of flour for enough dumplings for the same person.  

Modern Wild Man Quail and Dumplings

Ingredients-

4 Quail dressed and cleaned

4T butter

2T vegetable or canola oil

2 carrots chopped

4 ribs celery chopped

1 medium yellow or white onion chopped

2 cloves garlic smashed and chopped

32 oz chicken or game broth

4 large eggs

4 cups all purpose flour more or less

salt and pepper to taste

Modern Wild Man and Meg with a mess of quail from November.  

Start by roasting the whole quail in a heavy dutch or iron skillet.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Oil the dutch with the 1T vegetable oil.  Rub each quail breast with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Lay the quail breast up and spaced apart in the bottom of your dutch.  Place a 1T pat of butter on the breast of each quail.  Slide the dutch into the heated oven for 12 minutes.  Don't worry if the quail are a little on the underdone or pink side when the 12 minutes is up, we are going to pick the roasted quail and stew in our broth in just a little bit.  After the 12 minutes of roasting, take the hot pan out of the oven, and set it aside to let the quail cool.

While the quail are in the oven building that incredible roasted flavor, it's time to chop up the veggies.  Once you've chopped through the carrots, onion, celery and smashed garlic add them all to a heavy soup pot or dutch oven with 1T vegetable oil.  Turn the heat to medium low and let the veggies sweat in the bottom of the pan for a little while.  After 10 or 15 minutes of sweating on medium low heat, the chopped vegetables are ready to stew.  Pour in the 32oz of chicken broth and bring the heat down to low.  Put a lid on the pot and let the aromatic vegetables do their stewing magic.

While the vegetables stew and build a perfect broth and the roasted quail is cooling, it's time to make up some homemade dumplings.  Dumplings and noodles can be bought prepackaged for sure, but if you've got the time, counter space and a little courage I think you will find homemade dumplings and noodles to be much better than boughten.  In a medium glass or ceramic bowl beat together the 4 eggs.  Once the eggs are beaten together, fold in the 4 cups of flour a little at a time with a fork.  The egg and flour mixture will form into a beautiful golden sticky dough.  Keep your hands floured to help keep it from sticking too bad.  Work the dough into a ball with your floured hands and knead it until all the lumps are out.  If the dough is still too sticky, add additional flour 1T at a time.  When the dough is worked into a firm ball, flour a large cutting board, rolling pin and knife.  With your hands, separate the dough into thirds and put one of the thirds onto the cutting board.  Using the rolling pin, roll out the dough to the desired thickness of your dumplings.  Some folks like thicker dumplings than others.  Once you've rolled out the dough onto a floured cutting board, use the sharp floured knife to cut out your dumplings.  Move them to a floured plate or cookie sheet to dry slightly as you work through the other two thirds of the dough.  Your dumplings are ready to boil and thicken that tasty broth.

Dumplings rolled out and cut, waiting for the soup pot.

Now that your dumplings are done it is time to pick the cooled quail.  Pick the cooled breast and leg meat from each quail.  Put the meat into a clean bowl separate from the bones.  The vegetables in the soup stock should have stewed for an hour or more by now, and they have given all the flavor they have to offer by now.  Using a slotted spoon or wire spider dip out the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic from the flavorful broth, I usually put them in the bowl with the quail bones.

Add the picked quail meat and dumplings to the broth and bring the heat up to medium, or medium high.  Gently bring the golden broth up to a boil with the quail meat and dumplings added, stirring occasionally.  The dumplings need twelve to fifteen minutes to boil depending on how well done you like them.  Serve this hearty and warming dumpling soup by itself with crusty buttered bread, or over mashed potatoes if you like.

A hot pot of quail and dumplings bubbling away.

Don't forget to stop by the other Modern Wild Man blog posts here.

Like Modern Wild Man on Facebook                      Follow Modern Wild Man on Twitter