Girl Hunter Part 48

1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

4 cups venison stock

1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns (see Note)

1. In a saute pan, heat the oil and sweat the vegetables, thyme, parsley, and bay leaves. Sprinkle with salt to release the flavor.

2. Add the vinegar, wine, and whole peppercorns and reduce to a glaze. Add the flour and stir, for 1 minute, until it begins to bubble.

3. Add the stock and cook until it thickens and is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain, stir in the crushed peppercorns, and season with salt as needed. Keep warm for serving.

Try with: antlered game, bear Note: If you don't have a mortar and pestle, use the back of a frying pan to crush the peppercorns against a cutting board.

Homemade Chunky Applesauce

Makes 7 cups When using apples in any dish, you want to use a whole variety of apples: some that are going to turn soft quickly, such as McIntosh and Golden Delicious, and some that are going to hold their shape, such as Pink Lady and Rome Beauty. Heirlooms are ideal, too, and in some cases, well-aged apples taste even better than fresh ones. Variety is good because you get several flavors and textures. It keeps things interesting. Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Stayman-Winesap, c.o.x's Orange Pippin, and Jonagold all provide a good mix of sweetness and tartness. Other sweet choices are Braeburn, Fuji, Mutsu, Pink Lady, Suncrisp, Rome Beauty, and Empire. Good tart baking apples include Idared, Macoun, Newton Pippin, and Northern Spy. Apples that turn mushy quickly are McIntosh and Cortland.

4 pounds apples, mostly peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 to 1/3 cup raw sugar, depending on the sweetness of your apples

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon apple salt or sea salt

Zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Place the apples in a large saucepan with 1 cup of water. Add the remaining ingredients and stir.

2. Bring the water to a simmer and stir again. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting.

3. Let cook and steam slowly for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't stick.

4. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook the apples for another 70 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. During the last 10 minutes, use a wooden spoon to break up the large chunks of apple that haven't broken apart.

5. Serve slightly warm or cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator in a jar. The applesauce will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks, or frozen for a year.

Try with: hog, javelina

Homemade Sauerkraut

Makes 1 gallon You can use any kind of cabbage for this recipe, but if you mix red and green cabbage you will end up with a nice pink sauerkraut. You can start a new batch before the previous batch runs out by using what remains from the crock, repacking it with fresh salted cabbage, and pouring the old juices over the new. This will act as an active starter culture and give your new batch a boost. If you develop a rhythm like this you will always have sauerkraut on hand. Caraway seeds, juniper berries, or even other vegetables can be added to the cabbage for flavoring. This is your chance to experiment. To serve warm, you can heat it in equal parts brining liquid and vegetable or chicken stock for 20 to 30 minutes.

5 pounds cabbage

3 tablespoons sea salt

Caraway seeds, juniper berries, or any flavoring you want to try

1. Chop or grate the cabbage finely or coa.r.s.ely, however you prefer. Put the cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkling it with the salt as you go. This draws moisture out of the cabbage and creates the brine in which the cabbage will ferment. The amount of salt does not need to be precise: In warmer temperatures you might need more; in cooler temperatures, less.

2. Add the caraway seeds or other flavorings to the cabbage and toss to combine. Pack a small amount at a time into a 1-gallon or larger ceramic crock or food-grade plastic bucket, pressing down as you go to help release the water from the cabbage. Cover the cabbage with a plate or other flat object that fits snugly in the crock. Place a jug of water or other weight on top of the place to add pressure. This will help increase the brine over time. Cover the crock with a cloth or towel to keep ambient dust and flies away.

3. Press down on the cabbage periodically over the next 24 hours, until the brine rises above the plate. Some cabbage, particularly if it is old, contains less water. If the brine does not rise above the plate after 24 hours, simply add enough salt.w.a.ter (in a ratio of 1 teaspoon salt to 1 cup water, dissolved) to bring the level above the plate.

4. Let the cabbage ferment, and check it every few days to make sure the water level is still above the plate. Keeping it in a cool place will slow the fermentation and preserve the kraut longer. The volume reduces over time and a "bloom" may appear at the surface. This is simply a reaction to contact with air and can be skimmed off.The kraut will become tangy after a few days and will become stronger over time. In cool temperatures it will keep improving for months. Take it from the crock to eat as needed, but leave the rest in the crock, fully submerged, to continue to develop. If you find that the brine evaporates over time, just add more salt.w.a.ter.

Try with: venison kielbasa or any game sausage

Homemade Mustard

Makes 3/4 cup There are a great many variations you can create with mustard. You can change up the vinegars, use various types of mustard seeds, or add a sweetness with honey and mola.s.ses or a tang with horseradish and garlic. This is a basic recipe that can be expanded on, depending on its use. Be sure to let it rest for a good 24 hours before serving so that the flavors can develop.

4 tablespoons mustard seeds

1/3 cup mustard powder

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 cup white wine

1 teaspoon sea salt