Girl Hunter Part 14

1 cup seedless grapes, crushed

1/4 cup brandy

2 cups game bird stock (page 212)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1. Rinse and pat the legs dry, and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Dust both sides with the flour.

2. In a saute pan, melt the b.u.t.ter until it begins to bubble. Add the legs, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn over, cook for about 1 minute, then transfer the meat to a platter.

3. To the same pan, add the onion and cabbage and saute until soft and brown, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the grapes and stir. Add the legs, browned side up, and nestle them into the cabbage and onion.

5. Add the brandy and light with a match. Let the alcohol burn off and reduce. Add the stock, cover partially with a lid, and cook at a very low simmer for about 1 hour, or until the meat falls off the bone.

6. Finish with the lemon juice and parsley and more salt and pepper to taste.

Also try: brant, coot, duck, gallinule, goose, grouse, prairie chicken, partridge, chukar, pigeon, ptarmigan, quail, rail, snipe, turkey, squirrel, rabbit

Chukar Pie

Serves 8 A pie is perfect for a medley of game bird sc.r.a.ps that wouldn't necessarily make a meal on their own. This recipe uses a double piecrust, the way you would in a traditional potpie, but you could also use leftover mashed potatoes as your top "crust." This is sometimes referred to as Hunter's Pie. A version of this was sent to me by one of my blog readers, who said his mother in McLeansville, North Carolina, often made it with pheasants, but any game bird or even other game meat will work well.

Crust: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons lard (see page 187 to render your own)

6 tablespoons cold b.u.t.ter, cubed

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

About 4 tablespoons ice water

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Filling: 3 chukar, fully dressed, or the equivalent in game bird meat (see Note)

2 cups game bird stock (page 212)

1 medium-size onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 cup white wine

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup milk

1 cup peas

3 medium-size parsnips, peeled and chopped

3 medium-size carrots, peeled and chopped

2 cups spinach or other leafy greens

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, picked from the stem

For the Crust: 1. Combine the flour, lard, b.u.t.ter, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl and work it with your hands until sandy and lumpy. The lumps of fat should range from pea to walnut size, which will ensure a flaky crust.

2. Add a few drops of water at a time until the dough comes together but is not too sticky. The amount of water you need will vary, based on humidity. If it is very hot, work quickly. Divide the dough into two disks. Wrap them in plastic and place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

3. Remove one dough disk from the freezer, let rest for 10 minutes, then roll out on a cutting board, dusted with lots of flour, until the circle is slightly larger than the size of a 9-inch pie dish. Drape it over your pie dish. Trim as needed, and patch if need be, using a bit of water and extra dough sc.r.a.ps. Put the pie dish back into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer.

4. Once the bottom crust is frozen in the pie dish, preheat the oven to 425F. Bake the crust for 20 to 25 minutes, until it is firm and golden brown. If the dough puffs up at all, simply pat it down with the back of a spoon. You won't need pie weights here because you have frozen the crust. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the Filling: 1. Combine the chukar, stock, onion, garlic, celery, wine, and salt and pepper in a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the meat is loose, about 1 hour.

2. Allow the filling to cool slightly and then remove the meat with a slotted spoon, pull it from the bones, and cut it into bite-size pieces. Set it aside on a plate.