The Road Kill Ball

One of the shooting clubs I belong to is fairly secretive and one can become a member by invitation only. An invitation is only extended after it is determined that the candidate is a proficient wing shooter who is also very safety minded, of fine character, and friendly with other members.The Club holds 4 shoots per year in a continental format at a private farm.The members are all serious hunters and wing shooters who take the pursuit of game quite seriously...whether the game be pheasant,quail,grouse,waterfowl,rabbits;or larger species such as deer,elk or wild boar.
Each year after the hunting seasons are closed, the Club holds The Road Kill Ball. This event is essentially a game dinner where the members and wives get together to cook and consume the various contents of our collective game larders. We hold the function either at a member's home or at a local private Club.We turn over our collective hoard of meats to catering staff for preparation and service.
This year we started at the Shooting Lodge of a local Club with cocktails and appetizers. The appetizers included smoked scallops and smoked wild salmon. The beverage accompaniment for this course included Veuve Cliquot Champagne as well as Manhattans made with Basil Hayden's Bourbon and Martini's made with Blue Coat Gin.
We then went to the dining room of the Clubhouse for dinner. This year's menu featured:
Wild Boar Ham
Prong horn Antelope Sausage
Venison Backstrap with cranberry juniper relish
Quail in mushroom cream sauce with morels and apples
Steamship Round of Elk with wild currant demi glace
Oven roasted fingerling potatoes
Grilled asparagus
Field greens salad with walnut oil and maple vinagrette
Elderberry Cheesecake

Various wine were presented but I prefer a strong lager or pilsner with game feasts so I opted for several bottles of Pilsner Urquell.

After dinner the gentlemen adhered to an old custom of seperating from the ladies for an hour or so and we enjoyed Dow's 20 year old port and Arturo Fuente Cigars in the Club's Men's Grille.
As always, the Road Kill ball was a great evening with excellent food and camraderie equal to the cuisine.
I encourage my you all to try various game meats. When you are played out with the usual beef,chicken,pork,veal,fish,lamb routine...try some wild boar or venison...duck or quail...pheasant or elk. The purveyor D'Artagnan has a good selection by mail order if you cannot buddy up to a hunter you know who is purging his or her freezer/game locker.