Washington County Weekend Post

W ild game and fish can be a delicacy to die for or a tough, gamey mess, in terms of table fair. Sure, a lot of that can be due to preparation and how the critter was field dressed but spices play a huge role in whether you finish your plate or scrape it into the trash. Chef Jerry Garcia, 48, of Ixonia, started off as a self- taught line cook at a local Big Boy and worked his way up in both restaurants and status, eventually going to culinary school and landing a gig at Fool- ery's Liquid Therapy, a restaurant/tavern on Okauchee Lake. "I was more of an artist in high school," Garcia said. "I liked to draw. I was a musician. I liked photog- raphy but I didn't love any one of them to try and make it a career out of them. Once I got into cook- ing, I made that my new art." While Garcia doesn't hunt, he does cook wild game both at his restau- rant and for the television show, Kill it, Clean it, Cook it, where he serves as a chef that prepares a variety of wild proteins. "I was a chef at larger, fancier restaurants for sure, but I wanted the Fool- ery's job to really be my own," Garcia said. "I want- ed to transform a very basic restaurant that had mostly packaged foods and few burgers, and turn it into a new dining experi- ence. I drove around Okauchee and ate at every restaurant to figure out what I could do differently and create something new." Garcia takes pride in the fact that he puts just as much attention into a side order of fries as he does a $50 fillet. The same can be said about wild game. "You can't prepare all wild game the same," Gar- cia said. "Gator or frogs legs can't be cooked the same way you would cook venison loin. Some are bet- ter for braising or mari- nades while others work well with a dry rub. Spices pair well with certain species better than others." I asked Garcia what his five top spices would be, if he had to choose for wild game and fish. Salt and pepper were not included in the list because they are used in nearly everything and are default in cooking. "A lot of times, I consider what the animal eats and try to compliment that," Garcia said. "Many times, I look to various ethnic dish- es and adapt them for wild game because, often times in their cultures, whether it being from African to Mexican to the Caribbean, they are accustomed to making rougher or gamier meats wonderfully flavor- ful and tender." Curry Curry is a blend of spices popular in Indian food and Garcia loves it for venison or elk or other dark meats. "The spice is common in dishes like lamb or goat, so it's a natural fit to work with big game of all kinds," Garcia said. "It can help if the meat has any gaminess." Coriander "I love coriander for pheasant and other fowl," Garcia said. "I have found that most of the far m- raised pheasants that peo- ple shoot at clubs is that their richness has been bred out of them. They just don't have much fla- vor. Coriander pairs well with that type of bird. You can make a really cook batch of fajitas with pheasant." Chili Peppers "If I'm doing wild boar or pork you can bet there's going to be some heat," Garcia said. "A nice chipo- tle pepper and some salt and pepper, and you have about all you need. Toss in some brown sugar if you want the sweet to compli- ment the spicy heat." Saffron "Saffron is relatively an unknown spice that can be pretty expensive," Garaia said. "But you don't need much of it to make a bland fish something that is out- standing. It's sort of a flo- ral effect that is surpris- ingly nice and works with most types of milder fish." Just about any type of wild game or fish can be eatable but the spices used, and the preparation and cooking methods are what make them devoured, and not just tolerated. Gar- cia made sure to point out that dry rubs aren't the only flavors to deploy on your dish. "Don't forget about mari- nades," Garcia said. "They certainly have their part in this. But what I really like to do is to have a deli- cious sauce that compli- ments the meat. You don't need to mask the flavor of the meat you want to add to it to make it the perfect balance of flavors." 2A • WASHINGTON COUNTY POST • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 GMTODAY.COM Park & Recreation Booklet The booklet publishes in the November 20 Daily News and the November 22 Washington Co. Post. Be sure to advertise your business in this popular publication distributed to almost 16,900 throughout West Bend. The booklet is also featured on West Bend Park's Department website as a flipbook. Local residents rely on this booklet as a reference all season long. Ad deadline is October 9. to place your advertisement call Barb at 262-306-5075. 2020 2021 WINTER/SPRING DAN DURBIN Five must-have spices for wild game and fish Contributed photo Chef Jerry Garcia holds a plate of wild game that he created with his spices.

• Cover