We're starting to think about what dish Steven will contribute to the 64th Annual Hilaire's Wild Game Banquet in Portland on Sunday, April 27, at the Monarch Hotel in Clackamas, Oregon. Steven's proud to have been the banquet mycologist and part of the chef-for-a-day crew for a number of years. During their day long cooking marathon, Steven and the other volunteer chefs (under the watchful eye of Master Chef Roland Henin and Lead Chef Shawn Hanlin) will prepare about 2 dozen items, ranging from squirrel and razor clams to whole wild pig and antelope to serve to the hundred or so members and their guests who will arrive around 6:00 in the evening.
What a great occasion! It's a charity event, with proceeds going to the Boys & Girls Club of Portland, the Friends of the Children, and the Boys and Girls Aid Society of Oregon. Scroll down to the bottom of this post and you can learn more about Hilaire's Wild Game Banquet.
Each year Steven serves up some variation of wild mushroom soup. This year, though, he's branching out and he experimenting with a new idea: enhancing our favorite chili recipe with ground elk meat and canned chanterelles. The output of his labors is an easy to prepare dish that 's simply delicious.
There'll be lots of other items at the banquet. The hors d'oeuvres will include: Armadilo, Crab Legs ala Heater, Elk and Moose Sausage, Wild Pig Sausage, Fresh Water Soft Shelled Turtle Soup, Sweet and Sour Game Balls, Duck and Goose Breast el Greco, Texas Squirrel, Rocky Mountain Oysters, Alto Razor Clams, Fresh Oysters and Smoked Salmon. The entrees will include: Dahl Sheep, Elk Roast, Ringneck Pheasants, Whole Wild Pig ala Herndon, Goose Breast, Wyoming Venison Steaks, Wyoming Antelope, and Spring Chinook Salmon. And, of course, there'll be breads, salads, drinks and desserts to round out the banquet table.
Steven usually prefers his chili with a sprinkling of chopped onions.
The basis for Steven's experimentation was the chili making kit that we had given as Christmas gifts in 2007. The kits consisted of two parts: the seasoning packet and the bean packet.
Seasoning Packet:
2 tablespoons dehydrated chopped onions
1 tablespoon dehydrated garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon each cumin, chili powder, and oregano
1/2 teaspoon each turmeric and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
This mixture can be stored in a tightly covered container for several months.
Bean Packet:
Combine: 1/2 cup small red beans and 1/2 cup pinto beans (or other beans if you prefer). Cover tightly and store indefinitely.
To make Elk and Chanterelle Chili:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add bean packet, bring back to boil, turn off burner, cover and let sit 2 hours. Drain and rinse the beans.
Place beans, 1 pound of ground elk (or other ground meat), 1 seasoning packet, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, 1 cup chopped and drained canned chanterelles, and 1/3 cup water in crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Reduce to low and cook another 8-10 hours.
To give Seasoning and Bean Packets as a Gift: Place the seasoning packet and the bean packet into a paper bag or box. Add directions for preparing the chili. Decorate the outside of the bag or box with raffia and a potholder with chili pepper decoration or other chili inspired decoration. We think that your present will be well received by every lucky recipient!
Hilaire's Wild Game Dinner - the Tradition
In 1943, the Portland shipyards and war industries were booming. Hilaire's on SW Broadway and Washington was one of the town's great restaurants. In the back of Hilaire's, a friendly group of businessmen would gather daily around the large round table at lunch time to tell stories and plan their next fishing or hunting trip.
During the war, this group had to endure two critical shortages: whiskey and shotgun shells. The latter was made nearly unbearable when South Dakota advertised for hunters to rid their cornfields of an out of control pheasant population. Through a miracle (no one asked for details), two cases of shotgun shells appeared in someone's basement. A group of patriotic volunteers quickly formed and departed by train to aide these poor South Dakota farmers. The exact number of pheasants taken is still held in confidence (the statutes of limitations and all).
As payment for the ceaseless boasting, The Gentlemen of the Round Table that stayed behind thought the least the returning hunters could do was throw a pheasant dinner for the group. This request came in the form of a challenge to the hunters' culinary skills. The hunters took the bait and immediately began to quarrel over who had the best recipe and skills in the kitchen.
That's how it all started some sixty years ago: seventeen friends enjoying a good meal of wild game, a cold drink and some red wine.
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