Wild Kitchen chef Angelo Georgalli has teamed up with Fish and Game New Zealand to make wild cooking easy and interesting for everyone. From tips & tricks for game-curious newbies to original & clever ways to excite the palate of the most seasoned adventurer. The Fish & Game Cookbook celebrates the amazing diversity of our game birds, waterfowl and freshwater fish.
PŪKEKO BURGER
35 minutes prep | 15 minutes cook | serves 2
Abundant and widespread, the native pūkeko flourishes in most parts of New Zealand. They are large birds and are sometimes called swamphens. Their meat is often underrated but is delicious and tender, and there’s plenty to go around!
Patty
- 300g pukeko breasts, minced
- ¼ white onion, sliced
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- Pinch of paprika
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 2 slices beetroot
- Knob of butter
- 2 rashers bacon
- 3 pinches of salt
- 2 pinches of pepper
To Serve
- 2 brioche buns
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ handful of mesclun salad
- 1 Tbsp Rich Red Tamarillo Chutney
(see below) - 4 slices cheddar
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Add the cooking oil to a hot frying pan and brown the onion, adding the smoked paprika and garlic. Next add 2 thin slices of beetroot and fry until cooked through. Into a separate hot frying pan, add the bacon with a knob of butter and fry until golden brown. Set aside.
Transfer the cooked onions and garlic into a large bowl and add the minced pūkeko, adding salt and pepper and mix well, using your hands to shape the mixture into two patties.
Into a hot pan, with a knob of butter, brown the patties for 3-4 minutes on both sides. Then place in the oven for 10 minutes to cook the patty through.
To stack each burger, halve a brioche bun, spreading a dollop of mayonnaise on the base. Place some salad, followed by the patty and a dollop of chutney. Top with cheese, beetroot, and bacon to finish.
Close the burger with the other half of the bun and voilà!
The messier the better!
Rich Red Tamarillo Chutney
While tamarillos are in season from around March through to October in New Zealand, get into it and make up a few jars of this awesome chutney. So versatile, a good, tasty chutney is brilliant for so many things. Add to casseroles or simply slather it on game meat for extra flavour. Spread on pancakes or warm crusty bread, there’s just so much you can do with a good chutney!
- 50g butter
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 red capsicum, diced
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- 3 pinches of salt
- 3 pinches of pepper
- 3 tamarillos, peeled and chopped
- 1 Tbsp balsamic glaze
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 Tbsp apple syrup
- Salt & pepper
In a hot saucepan add the butter and sauté the onion, garlic and capsicum. Once softened, stir in the mustard, salt and pepper. Add the tamarillos, balsamic glaze and orange juice. Simmer until thickened for 15 -20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Finally stir in the apple syrup and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Serve as a side with waterfowl.
ANCHOVY BUTTERED RAINBOW TROUT WITH NEW POTATOES
5-7 minutes prep | 25 minutes cook | serves 2
Bring out the flavour of your freshly caught trout with this super easy, super fast, super tasty dish! Filling but light, it’s a winner for the whole family.
Potatoes
- 14 new potatoes, halved
- 3 pinches of salt
Fish
- 2 trout fillets
- 75g butter
- 5 anchovies
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tsp capers
- 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1 Tbsp dill, chopped
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 Tbsp white wine
- 3 Tbsp cream
- 2 pinches of gourmet cracked peppercorns
To Serve
- Cracked peppercorns
- Fresh parsley
In a saucepan, bring enough water to the boil to cover the potatoes, and boil until they are cooked through.
While the potatoes are cooking, in a hot frying pan, pan-sear the 2 trout fillets skin-side down in butter for about 3-5 minutes, adding the anchovies, garlic, capers, parsley and dill. Once the skin is crispy, squeeze lemon juice over the fish, flip it over and cook the other side for about 1 minute with the white wine. Remove the fish from the frying pan and set aside.
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and add them to the hot frying pan. Pan-sear, tossing them through the herb infused anchovy butter. Add the cream and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Serve with cracked peppercorns and parsley over the fish and creamy
potatoes.
Published by Beatnik Publishing on 9 May 2022, RRP $59.99, www.beatnikpublishing.com
