One of the great things about hanging around with a bunch of guys who take to the woods,fields and marshes shooting at stuff, is the bounty which ends up on the table.
Recently, our Duck Hunting Club lost an older member. Steve passed away this August. The Club's tribute to our old friend was a Memorial Game Feast. Steve was an avid hunter and bagged game in many states and on many continents. Steve also loved to eat. His closest friends agreed the best way to honor Steve was a dinner attended by his cadre of hunting budies at which good liquor was consumed, well prepared game was eaten, and stories of hunting with Steve were shared.
Last Thursday we all met at a restaurant owned by a fellow member. The Chef prepared a delicious menu which I shall not describe...I will simply recount:
Arugala salad with goat cheese,pecans and aromatic Apple and red wine dressing
Assorted Wild Boar Sausages, cheese and olives.
Rosemary scented Rail Birds with Porcini Mushroom Polenta
Grilled Rabbit Sausage with German Style Braised Red Cabbage
Cassarecce pasta with Venison Spezzatino
Striped Bass Calabrese
Seared sage-scented Pheasant Breast with Vegetable/Chukkar risotto
Slow Roasted haunch of Venison served with black pepper spaetzel,grilled scallions and pine nuts
Numerous bottles of Pinot Noir,and Burgundy were consumed. I opted for several good German lagers.
The companions were agreeable and the stories of hunting with Steve were legion...and some were hilarious. The food was tremendous. Wherever Steve's soul resides...in the Fields or Duck Blinds of the hereafter, I believe he was smiling.
Sounds utterly sublime. I often lamented the difficulties of finding good game in restaurants in England, when it used to be such a staple. Germany is a somewhat different matter, where people can still comfortably palate wild meat.
ReplyDeleteSmiling indeed. Bravo to your club a job well done.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful tribute to a fellow hunter. Sounds absolutely amazing.
ReplyDeleteI was raised on venison, bison, and game bird... but absolutely nothing like what you just listed.
ReplyDeleteWell served.
What a wonderful send-off to an old friend. The meal sounds delicious. (That dog in the pic reminds me of our dearly departed pup, King. Labs are great dogs, aren't they?)
ReplyDeleteJMW-That is my hunting dog Archie...checking my decoy spread for proper placement.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. Sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteI'm ashamed of myself. When I first saw the headline, I was saddened that the handsome dog died. Then I found out it was a person. Still sad, but I guess I need some soul searching.
ReplyDeleteDoes your club hang deer before preparing it as venison, or is it promptly butchered?
Your excellent blog is one of my favorite reads.
Sorry for your loss, it sounded like the perfect way to remember him and his accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteThat food all sounds so delectable, feast is definitely the right word here, it's making me hungry just reading it!