Deer Camp And The Feast of The Beasts

Every November I go away on a trip to a magical place. Hunting season is upon us, and it’s time for my most cherished outing of the year. It’s time for deer camp.

Deer camp is more than just a hunting a trip; it is an annual gathering of friends and family. We make a northward migration to the woods of southern Maine, and for one full week, we’ll reside in a rustic yet comfortable small cabin located on the banks of a pristine mountain pond, with miles of wild and rugged forest located right outside our doorstep.

But deer camp is much more than just that cabin nestled pondside below a canopy of ancient white pines. Deer camp is a state of mind. It’s a place where men act like boys, wives are not welcome, we hunt intensely, we celebrate with abandon, and we eat like Vikings. Anything goes, and we take advantage of it by gorging on all the food items our wives won’t let us eat at home. We’ll be hunting hard all day in vigorous terrain, and we will quench our appetites with manly food like egg sandwiches, bologna, pink hot dogs, sardines, pork rinds and pastrami.

The state of Maine doesn’t allow hunting on Sundays. To make the best of this situation, our crew has come up with a fine tradition, which over time has become one of the highlights of our annual trip. As the sun fades behind the mountains on the other side of the pond, my cousin Ian and I will be cooking away in the small kitchen and preparing our annual game supper.

Every year the menu is slightly different, but it always revolves around wild fish and game that we have gathered ourselves throughout the year. Following are the dishes I hope to contribute to this year’s feast.

Bay scallops are my all-time favorite seafood on earth. They are sweet, succulent and delectable. Most of the time I will freely share my fish and game with others, but the one thing I almost never give away are bay scallops. They are a lot of work to gather, and shucking them is extremely time-consuming. But, my Uncle Bill also thinks they are the best seafood on earth … and he was the first person to ever take me deer hunting when I was 16 years old. I will be forever grateful for that, and I repay him each year with a fine dish of bay scallops that I’ve worked hard to gather, yet am willing to share.

NORTHWOODS BAY SCALLOPS WRAPPED IN PANCETTA

5 to 8 large fresh bay scallops
per person
1/4 pound sliced pancetta
Maple syrup
Lime juice
Black pepper

Pop the shucked bay scallops in the freezer for about 8 minutes. (This will help keep them from overcooking.) Next, cut the pancetta into 3/4-inch strips. If you can’t get pancetta, thin-sliced bacon is a mighty fine alternative. Wrap a piece of pancetta around a scallop and use a toothpick to seal it up. Place the wrapped scallops on a greased baking pan with the pancetta facing upward. Now, add one drop of maple syrup, then one drop of lime juice to each one. Next, hit them with just a few cracks of ground black pepper. Place the tray under the broiler and cook for about 3 to 6 minutes, depending on the broiler. Keep a good eye on them and don’t let them burn! Serve immediately and suck them right off the toothpicks.

I can already hear my Uncle Bill smacking his lips and mumbling as he nibbles on them, saying things like, “Oh my….wow… dear lord… mmmm…. the best…. thank you.”

My next item on the menu will be a classic family recipe that is one of my favorite appetizers of all time. My mother first introduced me to this recipe when I was a child. She doesn’t recall where it originally came from, and I have yet to see it on a menu. Don’t let the ingredient list fool you, as this simple appetizer looks and tastes top notch.

This fall I was able to procure a good supply of large blue crabs from the one of the local bays. I made sure to carefully vacuum-seal and freeze a small bag of the body meat that I plan to bring along to deer camp and use in the following recipe.

OLD ENGLISH CRABBY APPETIZERS

6 ounces blue crab meat (or 1 can lump crab meat)
1 5-ounce jar Kraft Old English Cheese
3 tablespoons butter
6 English muffins, split
1/2 teaspoon Frank’s
Red Hot or Tabasco sauce
Paprika

Melt the butter in the saucepan, turn the heat to low, and add the crab meat. (If you can’t get fresh crab meat, don’t despair. I’ve made this recipe many times with canned crab meat and it is still delicious.) Stir the crab meat around until it’s coated in butter, then add in the Old English Cheese, which is a key ingredient and should not be substituted. Add in the hot sauce. When the cheese is melted, remove the pan from the heat. Place your split English muffins, “cranny” side up, on a greased baking sheet. Place a heaping spoonful of our wonderful crab concoction atop each English muffin and spread it around evenly. Sprinkle with paprika and place the baking sheet on the top rack of a preheated 425-degree oven. Bake for around 14 to 18 minutes until they are nice and crispy. Let them rest for a few minutes and then cut them into quarters to make bite-sized morsels that are packed with crispy, buttery, crabby flavor that will make you smile.

Six years ago I decided to try teaching my dog Elliot to hunt upland birds. He’s intelligent and very trainable, and although he is a rescued pound dog with no formal pedigree, much to my surprise he’s become a formidable bird dog, and we’ve spent many hours together chasing pheasant, woodcock, partridge and quail. We’ve both learned a lot, and I am quite confident I’ll be able to acquire some delicious quail and pheasant meat before deer camp rolls around.

Most sportsmen are familiar with Massachusetts’ trout-stocking programs, yet many people are unaware that these same agencies also stock pheasant and quail (bobwhite) on a weekly basis for the local upland bird hunters. These birds are delicious, and a blast to hunt. Following is my favorite recipe that is an annual crowd-pleaser at deer camp.

BACON-WRAPPED JALAPEÑO-STUFFED QUAIL BREASTS

6 skinless quail breasts
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, cut into 12 pieces, seeds removed
12 thin-cut wedges of onion
Cream cheese
2 slices uncured bacon, cut into 12 pieces
Salt
Black pepper
Goya Sazon con Azafron seasoning (it can be found in the Latin aisle in most supermarkets)

Carefully pound out the quail breasts, skin-side down, until they are an even thickness. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper and the Sazon seasoning, and then cut them in half diagonally. Next, top them with a good dab of cream cheese. Add on a piece of onion and jalapeño, roll them up in a piece of bacon and then thread them onto a skewer. Cook over a mediumhigh grill, turning frequently, for 6 to 9 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the quail meat is just cooked through. Do not overcook these! Like most wild game, quail and pheasant are very lean and become tough when overdone. This recipe works well with just about any other game meat, including venison, pheasant, woodcock and wild duck or goose.

This year I was lucky enough to get out tuna fishing a few times and I made sure to vacuum-seal a nice big hunk of bluefin to bring along and share at deer camp. Normally I’m not a big fan of frozen fish, but when quickly vacuum-sealed right after filleting, frozen tuna will stay tasty for several months. Over time, it will begin to get fishy, so I like to freeze it in big hunks and then carefully slice away and discard the outermost layer before cutting it into steaks. I usually prepare it in a spicy manner to cover up any ill effects from being frozen.

Bluefin tuna, when properly cooked, shares similarities with red meat both in taste and texture. I recently tried preparing it with a recipe for steak au poivre, a classic French recipe typically made with beef tenderloin. I was pleasantly surprised.

SPICY BLUEFIN AU POIVRE

3 bluefin tuna steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each, approximately 1 1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely cracked
black peppercorns
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup Cognac
1/2 cup heavy cream

Sprinkle the steaks on both sides with salt. Spread the peppercorns evenly onto a plate. Press the fillets into the pepper and coat liberally on both sides.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and then add the olive oil. As soon as the butter and oil begins smoke, add the steaks to the pan. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side until medium rare. Remove the steaks to a plate and tent with aluminum foil. Pour off the excess fat but do not wipe out the pan.

Turn off the heat and add the cognac. Carefully ignite the alcohol with a long match or an aim-and-flame lighter. Stand back and mind your knuckle hairs! Once the flames die out, return the pan to medium heat and add the cream and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil and whisk until it starts to thicken, about 4 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper or more Cognac if needed. Spoon the sauce over the tuna steaks, and serve immediately.