This take on a biscuits and gravy breakfast recipe hits the spot after an early-morning turkey hunt, especially a successful one.

I don’t know how things go in your turkey camp, but ours are usually pretty hectic and hurried before we head out in the morning. If we have time for breakfast at all, it probably consists of Pop-Tarts or a cheese danish washed down with scalding-hot coffee.

By the late morning meet-up back at camp, everyone is about to starve. If one of us has been lucky that morning and a fresh turkey breast is available, we will knock out a batch of these Cajun-Fried Wild Turkey Breakfast Sandwiches. They aren’t complicated; Cajun seasoning and flour make the dredge for the turkey cutlets, a slice of cheese and a fried egg top everything off. But then we go a step further. After the turkey finishes frying, we make a pan full of country gravy from the drippings.

Brown the turkey on both sides, then make gravy from the pan drippings.

A ladle of gravy and a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce give the sandwich plenty of kick to make it stand out. It doesn’t matter if your biscuits are canned, frozen or homemade; just pick your favorite.

Ingredients

2-3 pounds wild turkey breast, cut across the grain into half-inch cutlets
2 cups flour
2 heaping tablespoons Cajun Seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups milk or buttermilk
10 eggs, cooked to preference
10 slices of cheese (we like pepper jack or sharp cheddar)
10 biscuits
Black pepper

Slice the turkey breast across the grain for tenderness.

Instructions

Start by placing the turkey breast cutlets into a zip-style bag. Pound them down to a quarter-inch thickness.

Pour a half-inch of vegetable oil, Crisco, or lard into a skillet and heat to medium-high. While the oil heats, mix the flour, Cajun seasoning, salt, and a healthy pinch of black pepper into the flour. Dredge the flattened turkey breast on both sides with the flour mixture, shake off any excess flour, and gently place them into the hot oil. Fry for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until the turkey is cooked through and nicely browned and crisp.

A bit of Cajun seasoning and a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce kick up the flavor a bit over the standard biscuit.

Move the turkey to a warm platter and cover with foil to hold in heat. Pour all but 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cooking oil from the skillet, being careful to retain all of the crunchy brown bits in the pan. Add 1/3 cup of the flour mixture to the pan and stir well, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until the flour is golden in color. Reduce the heat to medium, add the milk, and stir or whisk constantly till the gravy begins to thicken, probably around 10 minutes or so. Reduce heat to low, test for flavor, and add salt and pepper if needed.

To plate, halve the biscuit, add a fried turkey cutlet, top with a slice of cheese and a fried or scrambled egg. Spoon over a ladle of gravy and top with hot sauce, if desired. Top with the other biscuit, halve and serve with a knife and fork—this one isn’t for holding!

Like the hunting and fishing classics Derrydale published in the 1930s, this cookbook has only improved with time. This is a no-nonsense, practical guide to cooking virtually every kind of wild game with everything from simple recipes to gourmet level preparation.