This month we talk to Geert Van den Bosch, general manager of Hubertus Vereniging Vlaanderen.
Every moment of the day he is busy hunting, but hunting is not just shooting an animal but also a lot of observing. Sitting in nature and looking through binoculars at what is happening around you.
In this episode we talk, among other things, about the hate reactions towards hunting and how this can be dealt with. Is the indecency only with the people who post hate reactions or is there something more going on? Many activities for young hunters are set up but is anything being done for the hunters who have been working in the field for years? Find out all about it in this episode!
This month’s recipe can be found below:
Queen’s morsel of pigeon and deer
Ingredients
4 stalks of celery
2 thick carrots
2 leek stalks
3 onions
4 to 6 wood pigeons
4 sprigs of thyme, 4 leaves of bay leaf, salt, balls of black pepper
200 to 300 g minced venison
1 egg
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
250 g white mushrooms
60 g butter
80 g flour
Salt and pepper
Nutmeg
Lemon
The broth
Prepare a kettle of water to boil and add:
4 stalks of celery
2 thick carrots
2 leek stalks
3 onions
Rinse all the vegetables beforehand, chop them coarsely and add them to the large pot of water.
Add herbs, including: 4 sprigs of thyme, 4 leaves of bay leaf, salt, balls of black pepper (amount of your choice)
Wood Pigeons
Use 4 to 6 wood pigeons
Simmer the broth briefly, then place the wood pigeons in it.
Let the broth simmer gently for 45 to 60 minutes. Use a skimmer to scoop out fat and impurities in between.
Afterwards, scoop the cooked wood pigeons from the pot and let them cool.
Pour the broth through a sieve, preferably with a muslin cloth in it.
Some of it you will need later for cooking the meatballs and preparing the sauce.
Video stuffing
200 to 300 g minced venison
1 egg
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
pepper and salt
Mix the minced meat, along with an egg and the breadcrumbs. Season with some ground pepper and salt. Roll the meat mixture into identical small balls about an inch in diameter.
Bring some of the strained broth to a boil. Cook the meatballs in it for a few minutes over medium heat. As soon as they float to the top they are cooked.
Cut 250g of white mushrooms into quarters.
Melt a knob of butter in a pan and fry the mushroom pieces. Add a little pepper and salt. Do not let the mushrooms color (add a little lemon if necessary) and set aside.
Pluck all the meat from the carcass of the wood pigeons. Cut the meat into bite-sized chunks. Set the meat aside for a while.
The sauce (roux)
60 g butter
80 g flour
Start preparing the sauce with a roux. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Let the flour mixture “dry up” while stirring, but be careful not to let the roux stick.
As soon as you smell a slight cookie smell, pour some of the strained stock into the pot. Keep patiently stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps.
Pour in some broth occasionally, and wait for the sauce to bubble. Continue until you get a bound but at the same time sufficiently liquid sauce.
Add another ½ lemon and nutmeg to taste.
Add the sautéed mushrooms, wood pigeon pieces and meatballs to the sauce. Drizzle some fresh lemon juice into the mixture and season the vol-au-vent to taste with some pepper, salt and freshly grated nutmeg.
Add some more cream to soften.
Option – Puff Pastry Pastry
A puff pastry pastry can be purchased at the bakery or caterer, but is actually optional.
Finishing and serving
Cut the lid from each puff pastry pastry, and spoon a generous portion of the vol-au-vent with wood pigeon, balls and mushrooms into and around the cookie.
Serve with croquettes or mashed potatoes.
Episode 5 – Bow hunting in Flanders and the rest of Europe
Listen to episode 5 here
This month we talk with Frank Siedentopf, president of the Flemish Archery Federation
It all started for Frank after the death of his father and during his passage through the jungle where he went with the native Indians. He was tremendously impressed by how the indigenous people there fed themselves by hunting with the bow.
In addition, the bow hunter also talks about the training required for this and how bow hunting is doing in Flanders and the rest of Europe. Also about hunting in cities, how is that going? “It is not the intention to start a massacre between 2 houses.”
Be sure to listen to the episode to learn much more about bow hunting!
This month’s recipe can be found below:
Just a wild boar cutlet, prepared by the butcher.
Just fry the piece of meat in the pan with salt and pepper.
This time not much work but enjoying a piece of game at its purest!
Feel free to discuss comments, ideas and questions below!
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Have fun listening!
