By Matt Porter, Education Committee

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s August, 2022 Newsletter edition.

As part of an ongoing series, Education Committee member Matt Porter has found some neat (and tasty) ways to prep your game birds for the table. Some may be your old standbys, but most will challenge you to try something just a little different. We hope you enjoy this month’s recipes!

If you have a recipe to share and would like us to publish here, we’ll happily keep the series going into the fall. Please send your submissions to Matt Porter at WWARecipeCorner@gmail.com.

CREOLE WOODCOCK RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

9-12 whole woodcock, doves or quail (preferably plucked)
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken/blonde stock
1 can petite diced tomatoes (14oz.)
1 tbsp. hot sauce
1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. dried thyme
Extra oil or clarified butter for cooking
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped green onions and parsley for garnish
Serve with rice, cheesy grits or french bread

ALSO WORKS WITH

Dove, quail, snipe, partridge, chukar

PREPARATION

Spatchcock the birds by using scissors to cut along each side of the spine and remove it. Flip over the bird and smash with your palm to flatten. Pat extremely dry and/or leave in the fridge uncovered overnight to dry out the skin. This helps the skin crisp when searing.
Make the Creole. Melt butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Once it begins to foam, sprinkle in the flour, whisking constantly to avoid clumps. Continue to whisk and cook the roux until the color turns to brown, about 10 minutes. The hotter the pan, the faster this will happen. Keep stirring to avoid burning!
Add the Holy Trinity (bell pepper, celery and onion) and continue to cook until soft. Keep stirring to avoid anything burning or sticking to the sides and creating clumps. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
Slowly pour in the stock. Keep stirring to smoothly blend the mixture. Once incorporated, add the tomatoes, hot sauce, Worcestershire and thyme.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let the Creole simmer for 30-45 minutes to reduce. Taste and season with salt and pepper at the end if needed.
When the Creole is about 15 minutes from being done, start to cook the woodcock. Season each bird with a generous amount of Creole spice both over and under the skin.
Heat a large cast iron over medium-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil and lay three or four birds in the pan, or however many fit without overcrowding, skin side down. Use a spatula to press the birds down flat, browning the skin. Let them sear for three minutes and then flip over and cook for an additional two minutes. You want them to still be a little pink in the middle. Transfer the cooked birds to a warmer and finish searing the remaining birds.
Serve the woodcock with the Creole sauce and rice, grits and/or French bread. Garnish with green onions and parsley.

CARIBBEAN GOOSE TACOS

INGREDIENTS

2½ – 3 lbs. of goose thighs or breast meat
1 yellow onion, sliced
3 green onions, sliced
1 serrano, habanero or scotch bonnet depending on how spicy you want it
2 tbsp. fresh minced ginger
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp. jerk spice mix (store-bought or recipe below)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. honey
1 cup fresh pineapple juice
1 cup chicken stock

Jerk Spice Mix

1 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cayenne (2 tsp. for spicy)
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tbsp. brown sugar

To Serve

Tortillas, avocado, chopped pineapple, salsa, cilantro, etc.

ALSO WORKS WITH

Turkey Legs, Venison Roast

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Pressure cooker or slow cooker

PREPARATION

Jerk Spice

Combine all the dried spices to make the jerk mix. You’ll use about 3 to 4 tablespoons for the recipe, leaving a little left over to season something else for future use.

Pulled Goose

If you are using breast meat, slice each breast into thirds. Pat all of the meat dry. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan (or in your stove top pressure cooker) and brown the meat, working in batches if necessary. Remove and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and sauté the onion. Once the onion softens, add the green onions, chiles, ginger and garlic. Cook for an additional minute or two until fragrant.
If using a stove top pressure cooker, return the goose to the pot along with the jerk spice mix. Add the soy sauce, honey, pineapple juice and stock. Stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and lock it shut. Allow the heat and pressure to build to a high level, turning the temp down on the stove as needed to maintain. If using an electric pressure cooker, transfer all ingredients and program to high.
Allow the goose to cook for about 90 minutes undisturbed. Release the steam. Once cooled down, unlock the lid. The goose thighs should be falling off the bone. Remove the meat from the pot, place on a large platter and shred with two forks.
Reduce the liquids remaining in the pot into a jerk sauce by turning the heat back to a boil. Cook down for 15 to 20 minutes until it reaches desired consistency. Taste and season with any extra spice mix or sugar to your liking. Spoon the liquids over the meat and let it soak up.
Serve in tortillas with avocado, pineapple, salsa, cilantro, etc.

You can make this in a slow cooker using the same method and ingredients. Brown the meat in a separate pot first, sauté the veggies and then mix the liquids in. Transfer all the ingredients into your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

WHOLE SMOKED DUCK

INGREDIENTS

1 gallon of water
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. pink curing salt #2
2 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
4 thyme sprigs
2 rosemary sprigs
4-6 sage leaves
1/3 lemon, sliced

ALSO WORKS WITH

Any waterfowl

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Smoker, large stock pot

PREPARATION

Pluck the entire duck (be careful not to remove the skin). Remove the innards and rinse out the body cavity with cold water.
In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil and stir in the salt and sugar. Once the salt and sugar are dissolved, add the remaining ingredients and stir until fragrant, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove brine from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Add the whole duck to the cooled brine and place a heavy bowl on top of the duck to keep it submerged in the liquid. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
After the duck has been submerged for 24 hours, remove it from brine. Rinse the duck with cold water. Heat the smoker to 200 F.
Place the whole duck on the smoker for roughly 2 hours until the internal temperature is 150 degrees.

Enjoy your waterfowl! And in case you missed them, be sure to check out the recipes from Part I and Part II, as well.

Recipe Sources

WHOLE SMOKED DUCK

INGREDIENTS

1 gallon of water
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. pink curing salt #2
2 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
4 thyme sprigs
2 rosemary sprigs
4-6 sage leaves
1/3 lemon, sliced

ALSO WORKS WITH

Any waterfowl

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Smoker, large stock pot

PREPARATION

Pluck the entire duck (be careful not to remove the skin). Remove the innards and rinse out the body cavity with cold water.
In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil and stir in the salt and sugar. Once the salt and sugar are dissolved, add the remaining ingredients and stir until fragrant, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove brine from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Add the whole duck to the cooled brine and place a heavy bowl on top of the duck to keep it submerged in the liquid. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
After the duck has been submerged for 24 hours, remove it from brine. Rinse the duck with cold water. Heat the smoker to 200 F.
Place the whole duck on the smoker for roughly 2 hours until the internal temperature is 150 degrees.