After the Hunt with Chef John Folse (2010 - 2011)

One of the most interesting techniques used by hunters in the pursuit of wild game is the art of calling. Chef Folse explores the history of bird calls as he prepares Duck & Turnip Stew - a rich dark roux base, chopped onions, garlic, and a generous amount of turnips, cooked down until tender and delicious. Then viewers are taken to Canard Sauvage Hunting Lodge where Chef Folse prepares Louisiana Mallards in Mandarin Glaze. He wraps up with magnificent Roasted Mallards stuffed with apples, onions, and garlic, oven roasted and basted in an Apple and Bourbon sauce.

This week Chef Folse creates delectably tender Sausage-stuffed Venison Hearts braised with garlic, onion, and celery. Then viewers are taken to Giles Island, a private reserve near Natchez, where Medallions of Venison is prepared in Kumquat Glaze - sautéed with shallots, herbs, a splash of red wine, and kumquat jam. Chef Folse concludes by mixing cuts of venison with stock and a medley of seasonal vegetables for a soothing Venison and Vegetable Soup. Giles Island is a 9200 acre island in the Mississippi River near Natchez. Since 1992 it has been a meticulously managed private game reserve that produces some of the finest game available in the country.

This week Chef Folse prepares Braised Duck in Thai Red Curry, then travels to Buckley’s Camp near White Castle to create a luscious stuffed teal simmered in red wine and duck stock. He concludes with a tasty camp stew of ducks cooked with canned soups and veggies found in any camp pantry. Viewers are also taken on a tour of Grosse Savanne, a palatial lodge in Cameron Parish on the Gulf of Mexico, where the owners have studied the surrounding habitat for many years and are completely dedicated to coastal preservation and restoration of the marsh and it's wildlife. They enthusiastically share their knowledge so that others can learn to appreciate and safeguard this treasured way of life.

This week Chef Folse explains the influence of hunting on the arts of the renaissance and baroque periods. The recipes include game not indigenous to Louisiana, but raised here domestically to provide a ready supply of these delicious birds. Chef Folse prepares a savory dish of Chucker, a small member of the Partridge family, simmered in red wine with rosemary, carrots, mushrooms, onions, and peppers. Next he creates Spit-Roasted Squab at Destrehan Plantation. The birds are stuffed with fresh herbs, and slowing turned over the fire until roasted to perfection. Finally, Chef Folse serves an Asian stir-fry wrapped in lettuce leaves. Boneless, sliced Squab, quickly browns in sesame oil while mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, red bell pepper, and oyster sauce are added to complete the dish.

This week Chef Folse provides viewers with a look at the art of Falconry. This intriguing method of hunting small game is regulated by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which provides licensing and permits for some 100 falconers in the state. The first recipe featured is Breaded Rabbit Mullinex. This crispy pan-fried rabbit skillfully seasoned with basil, thyme, tarragon and garlic powder. New Hope Plantation sets the stage for Smothered Rabbit with Mushrooms. The rabbit is quickly browned, then onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic and tomatoes are incorporated. Mushrooms, rabbit stock and bay leaves complete the mixture and is slowly simmered until tender and delicious. Chef Folse concludes with an all-time camp favorite, Rabbit, Oyster, and Andouille Gumbo. The dark chocolate-colored roux is joined by okra, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and bay leaves. The rabbit and andouille are added and cooked thoroughly. Oysters finish off the dish.

This week Chef Folse introduces the viewer to the art of Taxidermy where the quality of the finished piece depends on not only the skill of the taxidermist, but also the hunter's treatment of the animal in the field. Whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional, anyone practicing taxidermy is required to have a Federal Migratory Bird Permit. This week Chef Folse is cooking what he considers the most flavorful wild game available in Louisiana…turkey. First prepared at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, Chef Folse re-creates Turkey & Oyster Poulette. Peppers, onions, celery, and garlic are sautéed in butter, and then mushrooms, dried thyme and bay leaves are added. Flour is stirred in, and the oysters, cooked turkey and ham are added to the pot. The dish is finished with heavy cream and white wine, and is ladled over French bread with slices of ham. Heading to Giles Island, Chef Folse creates a fabulous crawfish cornbread stuffing and oven-roasts a twenty pound wild turkey.

From the ancient Aztecs to as far as Eastern Europe, frog legs have been eaten for centuries. Though no longer farmed for consumption, Rayne, Louisiana, the Frog Capital of the World, once supplied the tables of some of the finest restaurants in New York. Today's supply comes from the swamp where hunting is legal ten months of the year, and a regular fishing license is all that is required.

A gun dog is a hunter’s best friend. It is believed that tamed wolves were the first animals to aid man in the hunt, and the hunting dogs of today have been developed into a truly diverse group. The retriever (a type of gun dog) is especially conditioned for goose hunting and a welcomed companion and game fetcher.

This week Chef Folse prepares Snapping Turtle - a rare delicacy that boasts seven different flavors of meat. The first recipe, Turtle Sauce Patot (with potatoes) begins with a dark roux, and then the meat is added. Onions, celery, peppers, garlic and potatoes are incorporated along with turtle stock. Finally, fresh eggs are broken directly into the stew and served over French bread. Chef Folse then travels to Commander's Palace in New Orleans for a demonstration of their world-renowned Turtle Soup. The last dish on the menu is Turtle Lafourche. A spicy combination of turtle, rotel tomatoes and habanera peppers are stewed together in red wine and served over potato salad.

This week Chef Folse cooks some of the exotic game that Louis & Clark first encountered during their Corps of Discovery journey. He begins with a Black Bear Pot Roast topped with caramelized honey and wild blueberry sauce. The roast is first marinated for two days with garlic, carrots, celery, onions and lemon juice. Garlic, bay leaves, pepper corn, juniper berries, thyme and basil are also added. Once marinated the roast is seared until golden brown. Wine, Creole seasoning and the marinating ingredients are then added and braised for three hours. It’s finished off with a caramelized honey and wild blueberry sauce. Next Chef Folse heads off to Giles Island with special guest Chef Rick Tramonto where they prepare Grilled Beaver Tail. He finishes off the show with Stewed Beaver. The meat is first browned and mixed with a dark roux… then onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic, carrots and tomatoes along with squash and turnips are added to the pot.

This week Chef Folse prepares Dove. After rubbing salt and pepper into the dove breasts, they’re browned (for that caramelized flavor) in butter-flavored oil. They’re then placed in a crock pot with potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, game stock and canned cream of celery soup – and cooked for nine hours. It’s ladled over grits just before serving. Chef Folse then travels to The Duck Camp in White Castle, LA where he prepares Dove Breasts Wrapped in Bacon. He finished off the show with Smothered Doves. The dove breasts are browned in a pot – then onions, celery, bell pepper, canned French onion soup, beef stock, canned mushrooms, and sherry are added. After bringing it to a rolling boil for a couple of hours – the smothered doves are served over home baked biscuits.

This week Chef Folse begins with spice-rubbed tenderloin of boar… that’s basted with fresh peach BBQ sauce, then grilled to perfection. Next, he travels to White Oak Plantation for a demonstration of the "Cajun Microwave." The wooden box is heated with charcoal. Then the meat is injected and rubbed with spices, placed on a bed of root vegetables, and lowered into the box where it roasts until crisp and tender. Chef Folse closes the show with Wild Boar Chops. The chops are marinated for 24 hours in red wine, peppers, onions, celery and garlic, then pan fried in bacon fat. The leftover marinade and stock are added and the dish is finished in the oven.

This week Chef Folse prepares Speckled Belly Geese. The first recipe is Asian Barbecued Goose Kebabs - a tribute to the Asian culture in Louisiana. A combination of hoisin, plum and black bean sauces, minced garlic and ginger is painted on the kebabs with a brush made of lemon grass… then grilled for 7-8 minutes. Next he travels to Canard Sauvage Hunting Lodge – right in the heart of Louisiana’s rice country. On the menu is Ground Goose – browned and flavored with the trinity and served in a rice casserole. The final recipe is Roasted Goose with Dark Cherries. The goose is first braised. After browning in a dark roux, the dish is flavored with onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, brown sugar, cinnamon and dark cherries plus stock. The entire dish braises for at least two hours and served atop some great Louisiana rice.

This week’s episode begins with Raccoon Sauce Piquante. The meat is boiled until tender, deboned, then added to a rich dark roux filled with onions, celery, peppers and garlic. Beef stock is incorporated and the dish is simmered for 30 minutes. Chef Folse then travels to Wildwood Resort on Toledo Bend Lake to sample Fried Rattlesnake. The meat is dredged in seasoned flour, fried to a crisp, golden brown, and served with a dipping sauce. The final recipe is Smothered Nutria. A light brown roux kicks-off the dish. The meat is then added… along with onions, celery, peppers and mushrooms. Beef stock joins the pot and a thick, hearty sauce forms to serve over pasta or rice.

Goose is the main ingredient as Chef Folse prepares Baked Goose Holly Beach, Goose Jerky and Goose Bratwurst with Beer & Mustard. He also visits Keith Felder and Jules Lambert of Denham Springs, Louisiana who show how to build Cajun boats known as pirogues.

Chef Folse prepares squirrel Jambalaya and Goose Jerky and visits the Boat Museum in Lockport, Louisiana.

Chef Folse prepares Deer Bombs, Venison Rolled Roast and Venison Liver with Onions and visits with gun experts Richard Lipsey and Richard Waguespack.

Chef Folse visits hunting camps in Gueydan, Morgan City, White Castle and Creole, Louisiana. The menu includes Venison Wiener Schnitzel, Venison Sauce Piquante and Oven-barbecued Venison Ribs.

The duck decoy champions of the Brunet family are the special guests. Chef Folse also prepares Smoked Duck Ham and Old Woman Down the Bayou Poule Cassoulet.

Chef Folse travels to the Grand Slam Hunting Camp and visits with Perry Segura. .He prepares Fried Woodcock with Gravy. Woodcock & Snipe Pate and Uncle Paul’s Braised Woodcock.

Chef Folse prepares Venison Osso Buco, Roasted Leg of Venison Bayou Blue and Venison Round Steak Terre-Aux-Boeuf and visits with knife collector Mike Worley.

The menu includes Wild Rice & Pheasant Soup Roasted Pheasant with Red Cabbage and Pheasant, Tomatoes & Pine Nuts. He also talks about hunting clothes with Jim Brown and David Reynerson of Bowie Outfitters in Baton Rouge, La.

Chef Folse prepares Wild Boar & Kraut Casserole. Chorizo Stuffed Loin of Wild Boar and Barbecue Pulled Wild Boar Sandwiches.