Bacon wrapped duck breasts.

Try something new — ask a hunter if you find one

Thanksgiving was always a hunter’s kickoff at our grandparents during the 1960s and 70s. With only a few men in the family, mostly girls, we knew when hunting season arrived because they could barely sit through the family dinner before heading off to the woods in Central Louisiana.

The idea of featuring deer and duck recipes during hunting season came from Don Shoopman, the outdoorsman of the The Daily Iberian editorial staff. It seemed like a good idea until the calls and requests for hunter stories began. Still waiting for the return calls — plus asking around four Christmas gatherings last week — resulted in no tall tales. It seems the hunters might actually be out doing what they love — hunting. None were to be found and yet everyone knows they are around.

Perhaps it is their preference that attention not be drawn to gun owners or “Bambi” killers. There is always the other side of the coin that protests hunting as a sport or recreation.

Good news. The hunters in South Louisiana are not sport hunting, though they certainly are enjoying the camouflage wearing pastime most grew up doing. They are hunters in the truest sense of the word — for food. Louisiana hunters are going to eat their game. Sometimes events or large gatherings of friends surround a hunt.

Others simply prepare the birds for themselves — wives or girlfriends not being fans of wild meats.

Once Upon A Time

Searching for game recipes took a different turn — back in time to the early Cajun•Creole Cookery cookbooks. There is a wealth of interesting recipes and historical information in the old books and always a delight to peruse.

For example, in the 1956 cookbook, there is a recipe for Black Bird Jambalaya. Since 1981, it is illegal to shoot black birds especially in the city limits, but I can remember times when that would be the best solution to the hordes that swarmed into the bird feeders set out in our yard for lovely red birds, wrens and bluejays.

If you’re interested, or irritated with the pesky fowl and want to find a useful way dispose of them, the recipe calls for 30 blackbirds, 1 1/2 pounds of pork sausage, a large onion and green pepper, chopped, 1 cup of chopped celery, 2 cups of rice, uncooked, 4 cups of water, salt and pepper, green onion tops, about a tablespoon, and the same of minced parsley. Basically like a traditional jambalaya.

The cooking instructions say to brown the blackbirds until they are tender. Somehow I don’t expect that to be too soon. The rest you can just about imagine, but if in question and are serious about cooking the dish, email for a copy.

A Duck Dinner

Chef Marcelle Bienvenu remembers her father as a passionate outdoorsman.

“I learned to cook wild game from him when I was a mere teenager,” Bienvenu said. “His favorite ducks to cook were teal.”

Green-winged teal, at about 14 inches long, is the smallest of all duck species, but much loved. When prepared with care, the meat is tender and flavorful, she said.

“I remember Papa pointing out several teal when we visited the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Louisiana many years ago,” Bienvenu said. “They looked like small mechanical toys bobbing their heads up and down in a pond of bright green duckweed.”

Since teal is so small, Bienvenu usually allows one bird per person. When she nails Papa’s recipes on the head, “guests will be sucking the meat from the bones,” she said.

Bienvenu shared a menu that she served one year following the close of duck season.

The first course — grilled duck breasts — is a contribution from Kirk Sieber, another avid sportsman, who had a stash of boneless mallard breasts in his freezer.

“Before I get into the recipe, I’ve noticed something about men who cook — they are always armed with a bottle of Italian salad dressing. I’ve seen them marinate everything from steaks to chicken and even adding some to their boiling pots when cooking crawfish, crabs or shrimp,” Bienvenu said. “Maybe it’s a ‘man’ thing. Anyway, this duck breast recipe has Italian dressing and I can attest to the fact that the taste is pretty darn good. Count on each guest eating two, so you may want to double this recipe.”

Bienvenu is a big fan of wild rice, Uncle Ben’s is her personal favorite with game, but suggests you might want to peruse the rice section at the supermarket. There are a variety of flavored packaged rices out there that might suit your family’s taste buds better. The gravy and vegetables in the roasting pan are fabulous to spoon over any kind of rice, she said.

“I chose to serve a field pea casserole, the recipe for which came from another hunting pal. The late Henry L. Mayer Jr. was by far one of the greatest camp cooks I’ve come across other than Papa,” Bienvenu said. “The combination in the dish may sound a little farfetched but I think it’s great.”

Bienvenu’s recipes are featured in This Week’s Recipes, at the right, but due to space restrictions, for copies of her fresh pear salad and bread pudding, you’ll have to visit the story online for the remaining menu items she recommends for the duck dinner.

“It was a hard decision about the dessert. I personally like lemon icebox pie with game and fish, but everyone voted for a traditional bread pudding,” Bienvenu said.

As a food writer Bienvenu is featured in “Wings of Paradise: Birds of the Louisiana Wetlands” by Charlie Hohorst Jr. Once an avid hunter, Horhorst now shoots with his camera and has captured birds living in or passing through the state’s wetlands.

In the book Bienvenu reflects on south Louisiana’s cherished hunting rituals and shares twenty-four favorite duck and goose recipes from the area. From close-ups to panoramic scenes, “Wings of Paradise” provides a visual delight for families, birders, naturalists, conservationists, sportsmen — cooks — and all who appreciate the natural beauty of south Louisiana. It is available at Amazon.com.

Quail Anyone?

Reflecting again back to the bygone days when anything caught was cooked, another recipe from the old cookbook includes quail on toast. Reminiscent of the cornbread and buttermilk favorite of long ago, this recipe is a “sopper.”

Rub the quail well with salt and pepper, then with melted butter. Tie a strip of bacon around the body of the bird, joining with a skewer and place on a broiler over a slow fire. Let cook for 10-15 minutes or even 30 minutes, according to the size. Turn frequently so they cook well without burning.

When done, take off the broiler. Have ready buttered French toast and place a bird on each slice. Always pour over the birds a little of the juice that has run from them in broiling and let it soak down into the toast. Pour over a little melted butter and chopped parsley. Garnish with slices of lemon and parsley.

Coming Home

Thinking of the day when hunters will come home with their prey, whether or not you enjoy wild game, you’ll have two great sounding recipes from a top chef and can wow dinner guests with new culinary expertise. So you can know when to expect them home, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries website address is provided so you can look up the hunting schedule in your region. www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting.