Crockpot squirrel, beaver pot roast, catfish dip: Spotlighting wild food

Growing up, we had a lot of wild foods – things like persimmon pudding and blackberry pie – which I never realized might be considered wild foods. For the past few years I have been an avid hunter of deer, doves, squirrel and turkey, but this year I’ve expanded my interests into hunting rabbit, grouse and quail. As a result, I have learned some tasty new wild game dishes. Barbecued rabbit is a new favorite, and bacon-wrapped grouse is exceptional.

I found a recipe for crockpot squirrel that was different and delicious. It uses brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, ginger and water, cooked on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, and served over rice. Though wild game may require longer cooking, I often find it more flavorful and moist than other meats. Another recent favorite has been Brunswick stew, with no less than three game meats, usually venison, squirrel and quail or dove.

Last month the Sandhills Rod and Gun Club, Martha Faye Crafters Club and Richmond County Cooperative Extension sponsored the 15th annual Wild Foods Cookery Contest. It was my first time at the event; I was asked to give a presentation on outdoor recreation opportunities in the Piedmont, as judges sampled the dishes and chose the award winners.

The wild foods cooking contest had five categories:

1. Big game, small game and other mammals (deer, rabbit, squirrel, beaver, etc.
2. Wild fowl and fish (turkey, dove, fish, etc.)
3. Foods prepared with wild fruits, nuts and vegetation.
4. Youth
5. Most authentic (using the most natural ingredients and cooking methods).

First-place winners were Chris Stewart with deer chili, John Allen with catfish dip, Carolyn Quinn with Jerusalem artichoke cake and Terry Sharpe with woodland salad.

The youth dishes included duck and dumplings, beaver pot roast and longleaf pine nuts. I admit that the catfish dip and the wild blueberry muffins were some of my favorites. It was the first time I had tried bear, in a bear and wild hog sausage chili, or beaver, in the pot roast. Both were tasty.

Another popular wild food I’ve been seeing on Facebook photos recently is morel mushrooms. Several of my friends have been out collecting them. One article online reported that this may be the biggest year ever for morels in the Canadian northwest. A brush fire last year created ideal conditions for the mushrooms to pop up, and foragers are expected from near and far, trying to make money off this year’s bumper crop there.

A few of my friends find them around here, but they keep quiet about the exact locations.

I’m just glad for warmer weather and the bounty it brings. I’m looking forward to blackberries and muscadines as snacks on the field work I’ll finally get to enjoy, now that the long cold winter has left us.

Maybe next year I’ll bring a few of my own creations to the Wild Foods cook-off, but for now I’ll just enjoy sharing them with family and friends.