In keeping with last week’s column and the onset of what my Grandpa Joe used to call the “season of miseries,” more commonly known as cabin fever, this week’s recipes offer food for the hungry sportsman and those souls who feel blocked from the field or stream by winter and its weather-woes.
Frogmore Stew
There are numerous variations of “stews” featuring shrimp or other seafood, along with sausage and vegetables, from the Carolina Lowcountry. This is one of the simplest and most satisfying of them.
You’ll need:
- 1 cup Old Bay seasoning
- 12 frozen halves of corn on the cob
- 2 pounds smoked venison (or beef) kielbasa, cut diagonally into one-inch pieces
- 3 pounds (36- to 40-count) shrimp
- Additional Old Bay seasoning
Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil. Add the Old Bay seasoning and corn. Boil for eight minutes, add the sausage, and return to a boil. Boil for three minutes. Add the shrimp and boil for two and a half additional minutes. Drain well and sprinkle generously with additional Old Bay seasoning.
Serve on a large platter or pour onto newspaper spread atop a table. Coleslaw makes a fine side dish, as do hushpuppies. Have plenty of cocktail sauce on hand.
Makes six servings.
Hungarian Venison Stew
You’ll need:
- 1 pound venison steak, cut into one-inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 can (16-ounce) whole or diced tomatoes
- 1 can (11-ounce) beef broth
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
Combine coriander, allspice, and paprika. Mix salt and flour together. Dip venison in spice mixture and then in flour. Heat the canola oil and brown venison. Stir onion and garlic in with venison and sauté until tender crisp. Add wine, tomatoes, beef broth and parsley.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about an hour or until venison is almost tender. Add potatoes to stew and continue to simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are done and venison is tender.
Makes six servings.
Eat Like a Wildman is a collection of the top rated wild game and fish recipes that Sports Afield magazine has published over the last 110 years. Lifelong food critic and cookbook author, Rebecca Gray selects and infuses a wonderful-tasting standards with her own culinary wizardry and provides instruction on the best methods for preparing fish and wild game to cook. Buy Now
