Hunters enjoy feasting on their wild game harvests. It is important to enjoy them before they become freezer burned. Most wild game is best used within 6 months of the harvest. After that, the meat will tend to be dry, tasteless, and freezer burned.
Wild game birds are a drier meat to begin with. These birds need to survive and run or fly away from danger. Surviving Montana winters is also a tough task. Used muscles or meat or going to be tougher if the muscles are more used. Chickens march around the barnyard and build up flavorful fat reserves. Pheasants, Huns, Grouse, Prairie Chickens, and other wild birds must use their energy reserves to survive. They have less fat and lose more flavor after too long in the freezer.
Try using up your wild bird stockpile with my Game Bird Pot Pie recipe. Pot Pie is perfect at a camp or makes a wholesome family meal. Once you try this recipe, you will need to refill your freezer.
INGREDIENTS
- Dice up your trilogy of onions, carrots, and celery.
- I add a drained can of peas and corn.
- 4 tbsp. of butter
- 2 cups of cooked game bird meat
- ¼ cup of flour
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- ¼ cup of white wine
- One cup of heavy cream
- 1 tsp. of Thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pie Crust (you can also use biscuits or tube biscuits for the topping. In a pinch, I have even used tortillas)
Melt the butter and add the veggies. Cook until transparent.
Now put in the game meat and flour. Heat and mix
Pour in the chicken broth and stir until the gravy forms.
Add the cream, or milk, to make the sauce even richer.
Pour into your baking dish or Cast-iron Dutch oven/fry pan. You can also make it into smaller portioned pans or pie plates.
Make your pie crust or use the Biscuit chubs/ or biscuit recipe to cover the pot pie surfaces.
Bake at 375-400 degrees for 30 minutes. When the top is golden brown, the meal is done.
You will find that the wild game birds are moist and tasty. Pot Pie is a great camp and comfort food! I have also baked this meal ahead of time and just reheated it at the camp.
There will be no leftovers!
Montana Grant
