For those who haven’t tasted game or tried to cook with it, it can be pretty daunting…
…old wives tales of how to cook a pheasant so that it’s not tough, unwelcome shot additions to your dinner, over zealous hosts trying to convince you that game really is delicious (given that I served wood pigeon at my wedding I may just be guilty of this!), heavy, rich meat – but if you give it a go, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Some people just can’t handle the idea of eating game. In my extended family and most of my friends’ cases, this is because they look too “cute”, but there are ways to serve it to guests in a much less daunting manner.
- For guests that like duck, confit rabbit legs are a great starter with the same richness but in a smaller more elegant portion size.
- Potted rabbit served instead of a pâté either as a starter or as part of a lunch spread will surprise guests expecting game to be heavy with its subtlety.
- Instead of cooking a roast chicken for Sunday lunch or chicken breasts for a dinner party, try pheasant instead.
- Pan roasted pheasant breast with a cream, bacon and cider sauce makes a delicious dinner party dish, or roasted with the usual Sunday accompaniments will give you a slightly more flavourful alternative to chicken.
- If you’re entertaining ‘won’t eat anything else’ meat eaters who insist that game isn’t for them, I challenge them to not enjoy a well cooked venison fillet steak, delicious on it’s own with chips or mash, or served with a red wine jus or peppercorn sauce.
- If you fancy sausages, try wild boar for a stronger more ‘porky’ flavour, especially good with puy lentils slowly cooked with tomatoes and garlic.
- Or, for the last resort in guest conversion, venison wellington is, I believe, impossible to resist. Individual portions are easy to cook and serve for a dinner party, or for something altogether grander a whole venison fillet is perfect for a large slice-and-share Wellington. Bring it to the table in all its flaky, crispy, meaty glory and wait for the “oh I don’t like game” reactions. I strongly doubt that you’ll have any.
So if like me you are still clinging on to the last joys of summer, embrace the new season, challenge yourself to cook game and I’m sure you too will be converted into an over zealous host – honest, it’s delicious!