THE CAREFUL COOK

Phil Siddell explains how we can all help to restore the reputation of game meat by taking a little more care in the field and in the kitchen

- PHIL SIDDELL

I well remember the first time I cooked game. It was a good-sized rabbit that I’d shot that day and I stuffed it with rosemary and onions and seasoned it well; then I popped it in the oven, which was a mistake! The rabbit came out as dry and as tough as boot leather. My error was in handling it as I would have handled a supermarket chicken. My second attempt was with pheasant, which I was advised by all and sundry to ‘hang’ by its head for a few days before doing anything with it. When I came to prepare the bird, the aroma coming off the meat was so pungent it turned my stomach. These early experiences affected my confidence in cooking with game and for quite a while afterwards most of what I shot was converted into nutritious meals for my lurcher.

HINDSIGHT

With hindsight, I realise that the problem was twofold; firstly, I’d grown up eating and cooking farmed meat, which is a much milder tasting and more fatty proposition. Secondly, most of the advice and recipes I had for game were old-fashioned and came from a time when the reputation of British cuisine was deservedly poor. Thankfully, over time I have improved as a wild-game cook, and nowadays I take a pride in ‘converting’ friends and acquaintances to the delights of truly free-range protein. The secret of getting good results with wild game is to pay attention to three key aspects of preparation; butchery, storage and cooking. Each of the three steps comes with its own unique set of skills and techniques that take time to learn.

CLEANINESS IS KEY