Gamebird chefs let their imaginations run wild

Gamebird chefs let their imaginations run wild

Pukeko schnitzel, Black swan steaks and stuffed Canada goose breasts were among the innovative menu items featured in this year’s Gamebird Food Festival.

The chef’s participating in the 4th year of the 8 week event have relished the challenge of creating innovative dishes with wild duck, pheasant and quail and cooking the “lesser common gamebird’.

“This year we encouraged the hunters and the festival restaurants to think broader in terms of gamebird cuisine, and been thrilled with the response”, says Event Coordinator, Fiona Ritchie. “Some chefs have made an art form out of analysing the ducks and pheasants bought in by hunters, and thinking of them in terms of the best cooking methods for the age and condition of the bird and the cuts of meat. For example, we had duck legs confitted, smoked and braised in pinot or stout. Breast meat was steeped in citrus, or coated in Moroccan spices and roasted, or simply seared. Body meat was used in richly flavoured sausages, crispy pies or as a rich sauce with parpadelle.”
“It was fantastic for hunters and their family and friends, to dine on their harvest of duck or pheasant presented in 3 or 4 different ways as one main course. Of course, with the price reduction for the value of the gamebird meat, this made the meal affordable at around $26-$28 a head.”

Other chefs let their imaginations run wild creating dishes for gamebirds not usually seen at the dining table.

Tony Smith, Executive Chef at the Crowne Plaza Christchurch’s Canterbury Tales restaurant served Black swan steaks seared with spiced onions to his kitchen staff. Chef Anthony Page said he didn’t know what he was eating, as it had a texture similar to sirloin steak and a taste like venison. The staff were very surprised when Tony revealed that the meat was Black swan.

Meanwhile in Timaru, Chef Lindsay Bennett at his renowned Le Monde restaurant was speculating about a few pukeko brought in by a visiting hunter who wanted to treat his mother for her birthday. Lindsay created a spicy pukeko laksa which delighted the dining party.

Philip North of Huntley House in Christchurch was presented with a couple of Canada geese harvested by the luxury’s lodges Australian hunter guests. Philip created a number of dishes including a Rotisserie grilled and honey glazed Canada goose with parsnip mash, pickled red cabbage, and slow roasted quince, speck, apple and marjoram sauce.

In fact, cooking gamebirds for hunter tourists has presented good opportunities for some festival restaurants who are promoting the festival to hunting outfitters or gamebird preserves. Palmerston North restaurant, Nero cafe and restaurant have linked up with their local pheasant game preserve and are experiencing a steady stream of hunter diners during a traditionally quiet time.

Restaurants that have participated in the Gamebird Food Festival for a number of years have experienced an increase in patronage. Chef Tony Loialy of specialist game restaurant, Cazador in Auckland’s Mt Eden said  “this year has been awesome. We have had over 200 diners and have a pile of ducks in the freezer that we are storing for hunter’s planning to dine later in the season”. This increase in demand has led seventeen of festival restaurants to extend their gamebird cooking dates to accommodate continuing interest by hunters who have harvested gamebirds in their freezer or are hunting gamebirds with longer seasons, such as pheasant, quail and Canada goose.

The challenge of cooking wild gamebirds has been so popular amongst chefs that organisers of this year’s The Hospitality Show, to be held in Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds form 23-25 August 2009 have arranged for a Fish & Game Kitchen. Four of this year’s Gamebird Food Festival chefs will be demonstrating their prowess with mallard ducks, Paradise shelduck, quail, pheasant, Black swan and Canada goose. 

The list of 2009 Gamebird Food Festival restaurants and some recipes can be found on Fish & Game NZ’s website; www. gamebirdnz.blogspot.com. Festival restaurants make a price reduction for the gamebird meat component of the dish to comply with the laws against buying or selling gamebirds.

The Gamebird Food Festival is an initiative of Fish & Game NZ to promote responsible, licensed hunting and the value of gamebirds as a natural and desirable food.

ENDS

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