WILD GAME
RECIPES

Fresh Salmon Spread

Fresh Salmon Spread is an easy and delicious snack or appetizer when looking for a wild game recipe. This easy-to-follow recipe is your next hit at any gathering. Fresh Salmon Spread, using freshly caught King Salmon from Lake Michigan will make your taste buds explode. You’ll be hooked!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound of freshly caught, wild salmon
  • 4oz cream cheese 
  • 1/4 cup mayo 
  • 3 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice 
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest 
  • Salt & pepper 
  • Sriracha – the amount varies based on personal spice preference

DIRECTIONS

  1. preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. .Season the salmon with salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 13 minutes or until the fish flakes apart.
  3. Remove skin from bottom, place into a bowl to cool.
  4. Flake the salmon, then add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Sriracha, dill, salt and pepper, lemon juice, and zest.
  5. Stir to combine then cover and chill until ready to serve.

Please note: if using frozen salmon, be sure it’s thawed completely before baking in the oven.

Duck Bacon

Duck Bacon Recipe

Who doesn’t like bacon? Bacon can go with pretty much anything, but have you ever tried Duck Bacon?  Duck bacon is simple to prepare in a smoker or oven. Once the short curing process is complete, it can be used much like any other bacon. Refrigerate for up to one week. For longer storage, wrap carefully and freeze for up to a year. Save this recipe for fattier puddle ducks, not divers or leaner ducks and geese. Mallards, pintails, gadwalls, and black ducks are all great for making bacon. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 duck breast fillets, skin intact
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon pink curing salt (Prague Powder #1 or Insta Cure #1)
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons fresh or used coffee grounds

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a bowl, combine kosher salt with pink curing salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, and coffee grounds. Mix thoroughly.
  2. Using a fork, perforate only the skin (not the meat) of each fillet a few times.
  3. Rub the mixture into all surfaces of the meat. Place in a zip-top bag and refrigerate for 12 hours, turning the bag over every couple of hours.
  4. Remove fillets from the bag and rinse well with cold water. Pat dry. Arrange fillets on a rack with a pan underneath to catch any drippings and place in the refrigerator for two to three hours to air dry.
  5. Smoke at low temperature (under 150 degrees) or bake in a 200-degree oven with the door open about 1/2 inch (use a ball of foil to keep the door ajar) for one hour. Cool completely.
  6. Slice fillets into thin strips and fry as you would other bacon. To make slicing easier, place the fillets in the freezer for an hour or so before slicing.

Use duck bacon as you would conventional pork bacon.

Flammin Hot Pheasant

Pheasant Recipe

Do you like snacking on Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? Do you enjoy pheasant? I bet you never thought about combining Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and pheasant. This recipe was originally one we found on Meat Eaters:  however, we made a few changes and excited to share this Flamin Hot Pheasant recipe with you!

INGREDIENTS

Marinade:

  • 1 whole Pheasant
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of Frank’s Red Hot
  • 1 tbsp of Dales
Dales Steak Seasoning

Coating:

  • 1 cup of flour
  • 8.5oz bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos
  • 48oz oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

  1. Add all ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl and whisk well.
  2. Remove the wings from the pheasant carcass, then remove the breast and tenderloin, separating the tenderloin and slicing the breast into three equal strips. Remove both legs from the carcass at the base of the thigh and separate the leg and thigh at the joint. Add all pieces into the marinade and save the carcass for a soup or stock. Marinade the meat for at least an hour and up to 12 hours.
  3. Pour half of an 8.5-ounce bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a gallon zip-close bag. Push the air out of the bag and seal it. Roll the bag with a rolling pin to crush all the cheetos into small crumbs, about the size of panko breadcrumbs. Pour the crushed Cheetos into a medium bowl and crush the other half of the 8.5 ounce bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in the same gallon zip-close bag. Pour all the Cheetos crumbs into a medium bowl. Pour the flour into the same gallon zip-close bag.
  4. Heat 2½ to 3 inches of canola or vegetable oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat.
  5. Next, place the marinated pheasant meat into the bag of flour. Toss to coat all the pieces with flour. Remove each piece of pheasant individually and dip back into the marinade to wet the flour and then place into the bowl of crushed Cheetos. Dredge the meat in the bowl until evenly coated.
  6. Once the oil reaches 315°F, gently lower a few pieces of the meat into the oil and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. Use metal tongs or a large slotted metal spoon to remove the pheasant from the oil and place on a plate lined with 2 or 3 layers of paper towels. Continue frying the meat in batches until it’s all cooked.
  7. Serve as an appetizer with ranch dressing or chunky blue cheese dip with fresh celery and carrot sticks. Pour a second bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in a bowl to snack on as well.