Venison Scrapple

16 cups cooked and chopped venison
8 cups venison broth
1 cup lard
4 cups corn flour or corn meal
1 cup buckwheat or rye flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon jalapeno juice (to taste)
1 dash Liquid Smoke
1 dash of Morton's sausage and meat loaf seasoning

All quantities are in proportion so it can be multiplied or divided, depending upon the amount of available meat. Trim fat from venison trimmings, place them in a pot, cover with water and cook until meat separates from the bones (about 30 minutes in a pressure cooker). Save broth. Separate meat from bones and chop in a food processor. Meanwhile, to two cups broth, add corn meal, rolled oats, and buckwheat flour. Mix thoroughly so there are no lumps. Bring meat in remaining broth to a boil. Add lard, cereal and broth mixture and cook until it has the consistency of thick mush. Stir in salt, pepper and spices (jalapeno juice is brine from the preserved jalapeno peppers and a little goes a long way). Remove from heat and pour into muffin tins using cupcake liners. The finished product can be stored frozen for 6 months or so. Properly made, venison scrapple can be thawed and sliced easily for frying with little crumbling.

Venison Chili

1-1 1/2 pounds venison burger, browned and drained
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can sliced stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, undrained
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3-4 dashes crushed red pepper
1-2 dashes celery salt
dash of black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Combine all above ingredients in a four quart slow cooker (crock pot) and preferably refrigerate overnight. Cook on low heat setting for eight to ten hours. Top each serving with freshly chopped onion and shredded cheddar cheese.

Note: This is a very good, mildly hot chili that is complimented by a freshly baked loaf of bread.

Yields six servings.

Wild Turkey Surprise

This recipe includes a glaze that will seal in the natural juices of the bird and a stuffing that will roast a flavor into the meat which you will not be able to forget for a very long time. It requires some attention and time, but it is well worth the effort!

Ingredients

The Glaze

1/2 cup honey
1 stick real butter (preferred), or margarine
2 cups white dry wine
reserve 1/2 cup of the pineapple juice
A ripe pineapple, or 1 can of sliced pineapple
a bunch white seedless grapes, about 2 cups

The Stuffing

9 cups soft unseasoned bread cubes
2 sticks real butter (preferred), or margarine
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
a small bunch of white grapes, about a cup
2 cups finely chopped apples
3/4 cup raisins
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Preparation

The Stuffing

In a Dutch oven, or covered thick saucepan, cook the onion and celery with the butter, stirring
occasionally, until the celery is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. This will make about 5 - 6 cups of stuffing which will be enough for a cooking weight bird (plucked and dressed) of about 8 - 12 pounds. If you've got a really big bird, you'll want to increase the recipe accordingly.  Figure a little more than 1/2 cup of stuffing for each pound of cooking weight bird.

A note about stuffing the bird: wait until the bird is ready to be put in the oven before stuffing, and stuff him lightly, the mixture will expand.

The Glaze

Heat honey, butter, wine, and pineapple juice until warm and has a syrup consistency. This glaze will be brushed periodically onto the turkey throughout the entire cooking time. Keep sliced pineapple and grapes in reserve until 15 minutes before turkey is to be taken from oven.

Cooking

Place bird on shallow roasting dish, folding the wings behind its back so the tips touch. Tie, or skewer the legs to the tail, thereby keeping them from falling open during cooking. Insert the tip of a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the breast, without touching bone. It is very important to use a meat thermometer to ensure the bird is cooked completely without overcooking: 185 degrees
Fahrenheit. A second thermometer can be used, inserted into the stuffing, if desired. The proper
temperature at the center of the stuffing would be around 165 degrees.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees, stuff and place bird in the oven. Do not add water to the roasting pan, and do not cover the bird. Brush on some of the glaze, coating the bird well.

Brush glaze on the bird periodically, about every half hour. When bird begins to take on a golden
browned appearance (wild turkeys are harder to distinguish a "golden" color than domestic birds) use an aluminum foil tent to loosely cover the bird; about 2/3 done. Also at about 2/3 of the cooking time, cut the legs loose, or remove the skewer.

About fifteen minutes prior to taking the bird from the oven, place the sliced pineapple and grapes on and around the bird, and brush the remaining glaze over the bird.

Serve with traditional turkey feast side dishes. Wild rice especially compliments the flavor of wild turkey.

Crispy Pecan Fillets

Yield: 4 servings

1 1/2 lb. catfish fillets
1/4 lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup Milk
1/4 cup Vegetable oil
2 cup Yellow cornmeal
1 cup Chopped pecans
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 cup Chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Freshly squeezed lemon juice

WASH THE FISH FILLETS under cold running water, and place them in a bowl with the milk, Tabasco and salt. Allow them to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Just before cooking, drain the fillets and dredge them in the cornmeal. Heat 2 T of the butter and vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Fry cornmeal covered fillets until crispy and brown, about 2 minutes on a side--don't crowd the pan. Remove from the pan with a slotted spatula, drain on paper towels. Repeat until all fish is fried. Keep warm. Pour grease out of the skillet, and add the remaining butter. Place over medium heat, and when it has melted, add the nuts. Stir constantly while the nuts brown. Add parsley and lemon juice and stir to combine. Pour sauce over fish fillets and serve immediately.

Cajun Catfish

4 catfish fillets (4 oz. each
1 ounce wheat flakes cereal
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon oil

1.  Wash the fish fillets and pat dry.

2.  In a bowl mix the ground wheat flakes and all the seasonings. Pour the dry mixture onto a piece of
foil or wax paper, and dip the fillets into the seasoning, coating both sides.

3. In a heavy cast iron fry pan heat the oil. Fry the fillets for 2 minutes on each side. Lay the fillets on
a plate lined with a paper towel, cover with another paper towel, and pat to remove excess oil.