Wild Rice Crusted Walleye with Ramp Aioli and Morel Brown Butter

Ingredients

1½ to 2 lbs. boneless, skinless walleye filets
1 cup canola oil
3 oz. wild rice
½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard
½ lb. ramps
1 lemon
6 Tbsp. salted butter
4 oz. fresh morel mushrooms
¼ cup white wine
salt
pepper

Directions

1. For walleye, prepare the crust by crisping wild rice. Heat oil in a sauté pan to 365°F and carefully add 1 oz. wild rice to hot oil. Rice should puff and float to the top within 20 to 30 seconds.


2. Once wild rice is puffed, pour through a metal strainer into a heat-safe container. Shake excess oil from puffed wild rice. Season with a pinch of salt and drain on a paper towel. Return hot oil to the pan and reheat to 365°F. Repeat the process until all wild rice is puffed. Using a clean coffee grinder, grind puffed wild rice to a powder and set aside.


3. For ramp aioli, combine mayonnaise and whole-grain mustard in a mixing bowl. Slice white parts of ramps thinly and whisk into aioli, reserving green parts for morel brown butter sauce. Zest lemon and add to aioli. Squeeze ½ lemon into aioli and mix. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.


4. For the morel brown butter sauce, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a sauté pan and lightly brown. Add mushrooms and sauté. Once soft, add green parts of ramps then deglaze with wine. Reduce until nearly all liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining butter 1 Tbsp. at a time. Season with salt and pepper.


5. To prepare walleye, heat the oven to 350°F and spray a sheet pan with nonstick spray. Spread a thin layer of aioli over walleye and top generously with wild rice flour. Place on prepared pan and bake 15 minutes, until cooked through and flaky.


6. Using a long fish spatula, place walleye in the center of a platter. Spoon remaining aioli in dollops around fish and drizzle with morel brown butter sauce. Squeeze over the remaining ½ lemon. Enjoy!

Reverse Seared Frenched Elk Rack

Ingredients:

1 Frenched Elk Rack approx. 2.5# -center loin preferred

1⁄4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
3 each cloves garlic
Shallot, peeled and cut in half
1 sprig fresh rosemary +3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 Tbsp. Salted Butter

Directions:

  1. Rub elk loin with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

  2. Place seasoned rack of elk on oven roasting rack and cook in a preheated 225-degree oven. Slow roast until 100 degrees internal temp. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

  3. Preheat cast-iron skillet to medium-high and add elk rack flesh side down. Add 3 Tbsp. olive oil + 2 Tbsp. butter to the pan. Add shallot, garlic, fresh herbs - baste elk loin with a spoon using drippings on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low.

  4. Continue to baste and flip until 115 degrees internal temp. Remove from pan and let rest for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

*Serves 4-6 guests - Worthy of special occasions. Venison rack works equally well. Pairs perfectly with red wine and roasted fall/winter vegetables.

Cast Iron Seared Elk Steak with Coconut Creamed Corn

Ingredients:

  • 4 Elk Steaks 8 oz. Cut approx. 1” thick 2 Tbsp. Canola Oil

  • 4 Cups Fresh Sweet Corn Kernels

  • 1 small Yellow Onion, fine dice

  • 8 oz. Coconut Milk

  • Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

  1. Season elk steaks with the desired amount of salt and pepper or desired seasoning. Rub with a small amount of oil and set aside.

  2. Place cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is preheated place oil in a pan and gently drop in steaks. Allow steaks to sear on one side until dark brown. Approx. 3-4 minutes. Flip steaks and repeat on opposite sides. Cook until internal temp. 115 degrees for medium-rare. Remove from pan and allow to rest.

  3. Using the same pan add diced onion and return to heat. Sauté onion until soft and lightly browned. Add sweet corn and toss with onion. Allow to cook over medium heat for approx. 5 minutes or until corn begins to soften.

  4. Add coconut milk and simmer until the cream has reduced to a thick and creamy sauce. Season with a pinch of salt to taste.

  5. With the length of time, it takes to prepare coconut creamed your steak should be properly rested and still warm. Plate with steaming hot creamed corn straight from the cast iron pan.

  6. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Venison or Elk Carne Asada Marinade

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • Juice of 1 orange (approx. ½ cup)

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 1/2 pounds venison or elk steak

Preparation:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine cilantro, olive oil, soy sauce, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and 1 teaspoon pepper; set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

  2. In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine wild game and remaining cilantro mixture; marinate for at least 4 hours overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the wild game from the marinade.

  3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Using paper towels, pat both sides of the steak dry; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

  4. Add steak to grill, and cook, flipping once, until the desired doneness, let rest a few minutes.

  5. Thinly slice steak against the grain and serve with reserved 1/2 cup cilantro mixture.

Asian Ginger Pheasant Marinade

Ingredients: 

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce

  • 3 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)

  • 1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root (peeled and grated)

  • 4 medium green onions (chopped)

  • 2-3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (you may also use a tablespoon of sesame seeds if you like that flavor)

Preparation:

  • Put all ingredients in glass baking dish, bowl or plastic bag. 

  • Stir and place pheasant breasts into marinade.  Let sit for at least 1 to 2 hours up to overnight.

  • Grill or pan sear pheasant breasts. Enjoy! 

Roasted Pheasant with Cranberry Salsa

Ingredients

  • 2 Pheasants cut into small fillets

    Seasoned flour:

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1 tsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt

  • 1 tsp. black pepper

  • 1 tsp. thyme leaf

Preparation

  • Rub Pheasant in seasoned flour.

  • Panfry in hot butter until golden brown.

  • Place Pheasant on a greased sheet pan.

  • Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

  • Top with cranberry salsa and serve.

Cranberry Salsa

  • 1 cup sun-dried cranberries

  • 2 tbs. orange juice

  • 1/3 cup sugar

  • 2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced.

  • 3 tbs. fresh cilantro

  • 2 tbs. pecans, toasted and chopped

  • 1 tbs. grated lime zest

  • 2 tbs. grated orange zest

  • salt to taste

  • Mix together in a medium saucepan, and WARM over low heat. Do not boil (approx. 10 to 15 minutes.)

Paprika crusted Pan Fish with Chorizo & Lemon

Ingredients:

  • 4-6ea panfish, skinless filets

  • 1T paprika

  • 1t salt

  • 2T canola oil

  • 4oz chorizo, fully cooked if using raw

  • 1C white wine

  • 4T butter

  • 1t chopped fresh parsley

  • 1T fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

  • Heat a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, preferably cast iron or stainless steel, over medium-high heat. 

  • Season the fish with salt on both sides. Dust the skin side of the fish with paprika liberally and shake off extra. 

  • Sear the fish paprika side down in the pan. After about 1min flip the fish over and finish cooking the fish through. Remove the fish, paprika side up and transfer to a plate to rest. 

  • To make the sauce…pour off any residual oil from the pan. Over medium heat add the cooked chorizo and white wine. Reduce until the liquid is about a scant 2 Tablespoons. Turn off heat and incorporate the whole butter with a fork. Fold in the chopped parsley. 

  • Plate the fish by putting down the sauce/chorizo first. Place the fish atop and squeeze fresh lemon over. 

Campfire Smoked Trout

Ingredients

  • 1 whole rainbow trout, butterflied & deboned

  • 1 TBS olive oil

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Assorted vegetables

  • ¼ cup diced tomatoes

  • ¼ cup sweet corn kernels

  • ¼ cup diced roasted potato

  • ¼ cup green beans, cut into 1” pieces

  • 2 TBS diced red pepper

  • 2 TBS diced red onion

  • Fresh chopped herbs and lemon wedge for garnish

Directions

  1. Rub trout filet with 1 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Pre heat a 10” cast iron pan and place fish skin side down in pan. Scatter assorted vegetables around edge of pan and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Season veggies with additional salt and pepper. Cover pan with lid.

  2. If cooking over a campfire place pan directly over hot coals. If cooking in a conventional oven place in pre heated 400 degree oven. Cook for approx. 8-10 minutes until fish has cooked through and vegetables have softened. Remove lid and garnish with fresh chopped herbs and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Venison Pizza Casserole

Ingredients

  • 4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

  • 1 pound ground venison

  • 1/2 cup chopped onion

  • 1 jar (15 ounces) pizza sauce

  • 1/2 medium green and 1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped

  • 1 Tbls Italian seasoning or pizza seasoning.

    Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 400°.

  • Place zucchini in colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then squeeze out moisture and place in separate mixing bowl.

  • Combine squeezed zucchini with eggs, pizza seasoning, Parmesan and half the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Stir.

  • Press into a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sautee onion then add in venison. Cook on medium heat until meat is no longer pink but not browned over cooked, breaking meat into crumbles; Add pizza sauce and set aside

  • Spoon cooked venison mixture over baked zucchini mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add green & red pepperoni top.

  • Bake again until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Venison Meat Loaf

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Ground Venison

1 lb. Pork Sausage

1 C. Panko (Japanese bread crumb)

1/3 C. milk

1 Cup yellow onion, small dice

1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. clarified butter

2 Large eggs

2 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tsp. Italian herb seasoning

1 Tsp. celery seed

1 Tsp. salt

½ Tsp. black pepper

1 Tsp. dry rub seasoning

12 strips bacon (1#)

Preparation:

  1. Combine ground venison and pork sausage in a medium size mixing bowl

  2. In a separate mixing bowl, combine milk and bread crumb

  3. Pre-heat a sauté pan to medium, add clarified butter and diced onions. Stir to prevent browning. Once onions become translucent, approx. 2-3 minutes add minced garlic, Italian herbs and celery seed. Sauté additional minute and remove from heat.

  4. Add to meat, eggs, salt & pepper, Worcestershire, bread crumbs and onions. Using hands mix together until all ingredients are incorporated evenly.

  5. Divide meat in half to form 2 loafs.

  6. Lay out six pieces of bacon on plastic wrap and place loaf in middle of bacon strips. Loaf should be perpendicular to bacon strips.

  7. Fold bacon over meatloaf being sure to crossover on each fold to form a tight seal. Once bacon folding is complete transfer to a baking sheet pan lined with parchment seam side down.

  8. Sprinkle dry rub seasoning on top of meatloaf

  9. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven with tin foil covering meatloaf for 30 minutes.

  10. Remove foil and continue to bake for approx. 15 minutes more or until bacon is crisp and golden brown. Should have internal temp. of 160 degrees.

  11. Let rest before slicing

Recipe yields 2 each, 1 ½ # meatloaf’s. Each meatloaf serves approx. 4 people

Serve with your favorite sides. Ketchup optional.