Hank Shaw's Blog, page 85

Feeling the Burn

Morel hunting the way I do it is a lonely affair. Miles walked in a beaten, burned landscape. A morel here, a morel there. It's not the bonanza of a big burn, but I wouldn't give it up for anything.

Boerewors and Kindness in the Dark

Exactly 20 years ago I found myself in South Africa, alone and afraid. An act of kindness and bravery helped me through that scary night, an act I repaid in the only way I knew how. By cooking.

Salt Cured Egg Yolks

I'd heard about this for a few years: Salt curing egg yolks, then drying them and grating them over pasta. But I finally got around to it after reading a new charcuterie book. And lemme tell ya, if there's anything better than grated cheese over pasta, this is it.

Join Me on a Texas Duck Hunt

Want to hunt with me and cook with me in South Texas? I'll be hunting ducks and teaching a mini-cooking school at one of the best duck clubs in the Lone Star State this November.

Hmong Style Crispy Fish

When life gives you smallish bass -- whatever species they are -- ya just gotta cook them whole. And this Hmong style crispy fried fish is one of my favorite ways to do it. Lots of green onion, cilantro, lemon and garlic, all with a zippy dipping sauce. This dish rawx.

Pickled Fiddleheads

Catching the ephemeral fiddlehead is a tricky business, and I find that pickling them is a great way of preserving this zephyr of spring. This is an old-style brine pickle, lacto-fermented with no vinegar.

Smoked Wild Turkey Breast

Wild turkey meat can get dry if you don't do things just right. But a long brine and a cool smoke does wonders for the breast meat. Trussing improves things even more, and the result is a primo sandwich meat for your lunches!

Homemade Sheboygan Brats

This was the first sausage I ever learned to make, in Wisconsin at the side of a man who was, for a time, my uncle-in-law. It's a traditional Sheboygan style "white brat," and while this version is made with wild turkey, it can also be made with pork or veal.

Wild Mushroom Pierogi

Who doesn't love pierogi? I mean really. Little pockets of goodness, boiled briefly then fried and served with caramelized onions, sour cream and dill? Heaven on a plate. I made these with wild mushrooms, but any mushroom will do.

Smoked, Honey-Glazed Ham

It's tough to cure a whole ham on a wild pig: You'd need to scald and scrape it in the field, and that ain't happening. But you can make a traditional Easter ham with a skinless piece! Here's my version, smoked and glazed with honey.