Book Review: Three Interesting Books on Wild Meat Processing and its Preparation in Your Kitchen
Die 100 besten Wildrezepte. Karl-Josef Fuchs (in German). 2013. Tre Torri Verlag. Hardcover, 28,0 × 29,0 cm, 240 pages with many color photos. ISBN 9783941641983 / ISBN 978-3-944628-68-4. Order at Tre Torri-Shop for €49.90 (approx. US$57.00).
Karl-Josef Fuchs is a master chef and passionate hunter and also owner of the extraordinary family-run Spielweg Hotel in the Münstertal Valley in Germany’s Black Forest. As a culinary artist, Fuchs is always on the lookout for the perfect preparation of all parts of wild game harvested (sustainably!) from the hunting grounds around his hotel. His book features innovative, artful, truly wild cuisine from two top chefs—himself and his daughter Viktoria (who, together with her sister Kristin, comprise the sixth generation managing the Spielweg). Fuchs’growing fame has given wild game cooking new significance in Germany.
In addition to chapters on preparing different German game species, the book has a detailed chapter on specialty sausages. And throughout, step-by-step photos illustrate the recipes and help even neophytes enjoy the bountiful harvest from German forests. Fuchs writes: “Wild game meat has an infinite advantage—it is always organic, and I rarely need much more than pepper and salt to experience a wealth of special flavors and tastes.” Be it a spicy roast of boar, a perfect leg of roe deer, a filet of red deer, chamois or mouflon, each is prepared alongside ingredients that create a flavor explosion for the palate. His recipes go well beyond conventional standards and, with a little imagination, they can also be used for game from North America and Africa.
Fuchs does not compete for the stars, hats or spoons of professional ratings, nor is he given to artful turrets of scallops, decorative lemongrass or artsy brushstrokes of sauce. Instead, his focus is the high-quality handling of wild game and down-to-earth but imaginative cooking. A flavorful wild game sausage, perfectly grilled on an open fire; a juicy wild duck terrine; a wild boar roast with traditional Black Forest trimmings—these are the memorable creations that he and Veronika share with their guests. Fuchs also teaches wild game cooking and sausage making, and writes a column on the topic in Wild & Hund, the largest German-language hunting magazine. At Conservation Frontlines, we will work with the Fuchs family to publish English translations of some of their recipes on our website.
Camdeboo Karoo Venison. Lynne Minnaar, Annatjie Reynolds, Albé Neethling 2003, Paperback, 197 pages, b/w & color illustrations. ISBN-10: 0620303069 and ISBN-13: 978-0620303064.
Across Southern Africa, many people still seem to believe that meat from wild game is tough, dry and difficult to prepare—in other words, good only for biltong, potjie-kos and sausages. But there (as everywhere), wild game meat is coming into its own, thanks to its optimal nutritional value, essential proteins and minimal fat and cholesterol. Although currently out of print, Camdeboo Karoo Venison—with a preface by the well-known author and hunter Peter H. Flack—fulfills every home chef’s dream of preparing healthy and interesting Southern African wild game dishes. Hunters and their families, and non-hunters who buy high-quality game meat from trusted sources, will enjoy these excellent and proven recipes, and learn that eating wild game can be a marvelous experience.
Wild Gourmet – Naturally Healthy Game Fish and Fowl Recipes for Everyday Chefs. 2014. Daniel Nelson (Author) and Marc Mondavi (Editor). Boone & Crockett Club. Hardcover, 263 x 211 x 27mm, 272 pages and 300+ color photographs. ISBN 978-0-940864-93-1 and e-ISBN 978-1-940860-02-2. Order at the Boone & Crockett Club Bookstore for US$ 34.95.
This book features innovative yet easy recipes for Nature’s most sustainable, lean and delicious meats from some of North America’s top gourmet chefs: Jon Bonnell (Texas), Daniel Boulud (New York), Travis Brust (Virginia), Michael Chiarello (California), Josh Drage (Montana), Chris Hughes (Texas), Bob Hurley (California), Emeril Lagasse (Louisiana), Scott Leysath (California), Jorge Morales (Montana), Daniel Nelson (Michigan), Holly Peterson (California), Susan Prescott-Havers (Wyoming), Anthony Scanio (Louisiana), and Hank Shaw (California).
Also included is a fully illustrated 24×36-inch, double-sided reference poster for wild game processing, preparation and cuts from Chef Daniel Nelson from the Gourmet Gone Wild TV program. Renowned food scientist Moira Tidball provides a detailed table of the nutritional content of wild game and fish species. (She also highlights the differences between farm-raised and wild game meat.) And Marc Mondavi gives wine pairing recommendations for different game meats.
New to hunting and fishing? Wild Gourmet will demystify processing and preparing wild game. In case your game larder is bare, it also recommends smart substitutes. Whether in North America, Europe or Africa, this book is for the discerning hunter or angler who wants to share the fruits of his or her days afield with family and friends. It is a celebration of the culinary arts and the health benefits of wild fish and game, one that has taken the locavore movement by storm.