Recipes

A forgotten family recipe When I was growing up, once a year my family would shoot a few rabbits while hunting pheasant and quail. The following weekend, using the rabbits, Mom would undertake what she called “the task of making hasenpfeffer.” Then, my uncles and older male cousins on the Steinauer side of the family would gather at our house for an evening meal of hasenpfeffer and gravy-smothered dumplings. This was followed by endless games of five-point pitch played for …

Cooked with red wine, this is the best chili you will ever taste. I would venture to say this is not only the best venison chili you will find, but the best chili you will ever taste, period. It differs from other chili recipes in its red wine base. Don’t spend a fortune on the wine, but get a robust variety like malbec or cabernet sauvignon that will hold up to the spices. Serve with a dollop of sour cream …

Story and photos by Ryan Sparks The first cool days of autumn bring a nagging urge to be outdoors – a primal upwelling to hear the crunch of leaves underfoot, stare up at migrating flocks and breathe the sweet smell of harvest. Every fall I look forward to days spent hunting deer and quail, Cornhusker football games, trips to the pumpkin patch and rich meals of wild game. Like many Nebraskans who also love wild game, I often look for …

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook blogger Hank Shaw will visit Nebraska on this latest book tour. By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley Award-winning Hunter Angler Gardener Cook blogger Hank Shaw will visit the Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln to talk about wild game on Oct. 4, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The seminar will show hunters how to get more out of their wild game and fish through new cooking tips and techniques, with a focus on upland birds. Shaw will …

Summer gives full credence to Nebraska’s state slogan “the good life.” Long days of sunshine and an explosion of green are proof that muddling through winter was worth it. Wild plums adorn field edges, summer breezes stir the corn into a swaying dance and sun tea steeps on porches across the state. At no other time do the flavors of Nebraska present themselves more readily, and nowhere are they more abundant than a Nebraska garden. These gardens are magical places …

This recipe is all about the morels and adds nothing to hide their flavor. Make sure you use risotto rice as regular long-grained rice will not work. Anything labeled camaroli rice, vialone nano. Or arboria (the most widely available) will work. Quality stock is very important for risotto. Make your own or buy the best you can find. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes Ingredients: Recipe: 1. Pour the stock and 2 cups water into a …

A French technique called “en papillote,” this walleye dish is cooked “in parchment” paper. Fish gently cooks in these parchment packets, creating their own steam and staying moist. Allow each guest to open up their own packet at the table. The aromas that fill the room will be a fun surprise. If you don’t have parchment paper on hand, then heavy-duty foil would work just as well. The vegetables listed below are only suggestions. Use whatever greens and herbs you …

Don’t have time to age your meat? Try this. I had more than half a wedge of blue cheese sitting in my refrigerator, and I racked my brain hard on what I should do with it. Cheese is not cheap, and unfortunately, blue cheese is one of those items that I’d buy just to make one dish – usually salad – and the rest ends up in the trash because a little goes a long way. As far as stinky …

A pasta casserole with turkey, mushrooms and bacon Simple to put together and filling, I love a good baked pasta dish. And having discovered some beautiful velvet pioppini mushrooms at the grocery store, I added them to this casserole for texture and a woodsy flavor that complemented the ground turkey meatballs. However, you may use any mushroom you prefer. The ground meat came from the thighs and legs of a wild turkey, and I didn’t miss the red meat. This …

An easy wild game breakfast pie. This is, hands down, one of my favorite pheasant recipes. If you have guests over for the holidays and need to feed breakfast to a large crowd, quiche is the way to go. Cook the sausage, pheasant and shallots beforehand and allow the spinach to thaw and drain overnight. Assemble quiches the next morning and bake. Think of it as a breakfast pie. Servings: 8 (2 pies) Prep Time: 20 minutes    Cooking Time: 1 …