2019-09-01_Louisiana_Cookin

(Michael S) #1
27 louisianacookin.com

RIB-EYE


IN THE SKY


ITWASWHILElyingonmybackandlookingupthe
sightofa 12-gaugeshotgunata skyblackenedwithbirds
thatI realizedI wasnota hunter.EventhoughI came
froma longlineofhunters,I couldn’thitthesideofa
barn.Mydestinywastocookgame,nothuntit.
Myfatherwasa phenomenalhunterandas
comfortableintheswampashewasonourfrontporch.
Asa youngman,hemadea livingtrappingandhunting.
Mybirthcertificateshowsmyfather’soccupationas
trapper.Ourlarderwasfilledwithingredientsfromthe
swampfloor,andourback
porchdécorwasstretched
hidesdryinginthesun.
Myculinaryeducation
inpreparingwilddelicacies
camefromthe“Escoffiers”
ofCajunCountry.At
UnclePaulZeringue’scamponCabanoceyPlantation,I
learnedtomakeduckandandouillegumbo;atIvyBye’s
camponBurtonLane,I learnedtocookgoosebreast
saucepiquante;atGuyCaire’scamp,I watchedasswamp
mealswerepreparedforgovernors,senators,andstate
representatives.
Louisiana’sabundantwetlands,marshes,andbayous
makethisa waterfowlparadiseyear-round.Whatelevates
thestatefrombeinga greatplacetohunttobeing
Sportsman’sParadiseis itslocationatthesouthernendof
theMississippiFlyway,thepathhundredsofbirdspecies
taketotheirsouthernwinteringgroundseachyear.

The NativeAmericanswhofirstroamedthisarea
knewabouttheseasonalarrivalofducksandgeese,
namingonespotinpresent-daySt.JamesParish
Cabanosse,“mallards’roost.”Onecanimaginehowthe
abundanceofwaterfowldelightedthenewlyarrived
Acadians,discoveringthatLouisianawaswherethebirds
theyhuntedinNovaScotiainthespringandsummer
disappearedforthewinter.
It seemswaterfowl-huntingwouldbefamiliarto
anywhoarrivedinLouisianafromforeignshores.Even
inEgypt,a shrineinthe
tombofKingTutankhamun
showsa depictionofthe
pharaohhuntingbirds.
Becausehishuntinggrounds
wereknownas“Swampsof
Enjoyment,”I venturethathe
wouldhavebeenathomeinLouisiana’smarshes.
Whileduckswerecommon,geeseheldconsiderable
distinctionthroughouttheages.The Romansconsidered
geesesacred,andtheGreeksdomesticatedandfattened
them.InmedievalEurope,geeseofthevillagewere
presentedtoconqueringheroes.InEngland,roasted
goosewasstandardfareforSt.Michael’sDayand
Christmas.Forme,too,geesearemyfavoritewaterfowl
toeat.I lovewoodduckasmuchasthenextguy,but
givemea specklebellyandI’minheaven.I guessothers
feelthesame,becauseinsouthLouisiana,wedon’thunt
geese;wehunt“rib-eyeinthesky”!

AFIELD & AFLOAT


by chef john d. folse

“LOUISIANA’S ABUNDANT WETLANDS,

MARSHES, AND BAYOUS MAKE THIS A

WATERFOWL PARADISE YEAR-ROUND.”

Chef John D. Folse is an entrepreneur with interests ranging from restaurant development to food manufacturing, catering to culinary education.
Similar recipes can be found in After the Hunt: Louisiana’s Authoritative Collection of Wild Game & Game Fish Cookery (Chef John Folse & Company).
Free download pdf