John Folse is a well-known chef around south Louisiana.

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chicagotribune.com
Hunting and capturing Louisiana's legacy
Chef aims to preserve the flavors of his state's wild game and seafood

By Kerry Luft

Tribune staff reporter

January 9, 2008

Not every cookbook comes wrapped in a camouflage sack. Nor do most cookbook covers feature a photograph of the author/chef with a large, deceased alligator draped over one shoulder.

But Louisiana chef John Folse has published just such an opus, "After the Hunt" ($64.95 online at jfolse.com), a 10-pound, 871-page manifesto focusing on the abundant wild game and seafood of his home state. It's a follow-up to his equally weighty and comprehensive "Encyclopedia of Creole & Cajun Cuisine" published three years ago.

Folse, a longtime hunter, sees the book as part of an attempt to preserve Louisiana's culinary heritage. Some of the 500-plus recipes are the chef's own; others were submitted by hunters and fishermen.

"So much of that wonderful history and culture and the way we prepared the food and the way we felt about the food, the passion of it all, was disappearing so quickly," said Folse, who grew up the son of a trapper in Louisiana's St. James Parish. "I thought that to do a recipe book that would begin with the telling of the story of the subject, to tell the story of the food, of the people, was much more important."

The book opens with detailed essays on the history and heritage of hunting, complete with wonderful vintage photos of Louisiana hunting camps. But recipes are the heart of the book. Most focus on specific species -- instead of a generic "wild duck" Folse is likely to call for a mallard or ring-necked duck -- and range from indigenous game such as waterfowl to introduced species such as pheasant.

There are even recipes for such non-conventional fare as rattlesnake, nutria (a large, water-dwelling rodent) and opossum, giving more credence to the theory that a south Louisianian will eat almost anything, given enough roux, okra and Tabasco.

"We've totally forgotten that beaver was a sought-after delicacy in the 1800s and that beaver tail was one of the more sought-after ingredients in the markets of New Orleans," Folse said. "To roast a raccoon with sweet potatoes or to smoke it and put it in a gumbo with Louisiana smoked sausage was a delicacy. I mean, this was a Sunday table dish."

For those with more metropolitan tastes, there are plenty of recipes that will work with the domesticated game now found in many specialty meat markets: rabbit, pheasant, venison, even wild boar. Folse acknowledges that such meats work well but don't have the muscle structure or flavor of a bird or mammal that has been eating "the natural persimmons growing on the wild trees of Louisiana or mayhaw berries in the spring. ... You're not going to get that same flavor but you're certainly going to get at least a semblance of it in some way or other."

The book also offers several recipes for seafood, showcasing what Folse believes is "one of the greatest techniques in Louisiana's cooking -- the marrying of crawfish and crab and shrimp to game." And there are hints for matching wine with game as well. Armadillo, for example, goes well with a bold syrah, he writes.

Though its sheer bulk makes it a bit unwieldy, this is a book to be savored, especially for those whose repertoire of game recipes relies too heavily on cans of cream of mushroom soup.

"I wanted to make people think a little deeper," Folse said, "that we just don't throw everything into the pot with salt, pepper and garlic, put a lid on it and throw it in a 350-degree oven and expect a miracle."

Venison rolled roast

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours

Resting time: 10 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

This recipe, adapted from "After the Hunt," by John Folse, was submitted by Ronnie Rigdon of Ventress, La. Ham trimmings consist mostly of fat that is removed from a cured ham. You can substitute bacon for the ham trimmings.

1 venison roast, 3-5 pounds, boned

2 teaspoons hot red pepper sauce

1/2 pound ham trimmings, thinly sliced

12 cloves garlic, minced

3 ribs celery, diced

1 onion, diced

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 teaspoon each: coarse salt, granulated garlic, Creole seasoning

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place roast on a flat surface; gently pound with a meat mallet to make a larger, even surface. Drizzle the hot sauce over roast; place the ham trimmings evenly over the hot sauce. Distribute the garlic, celery, onion and bell pepper over the ham trimmings. Season with half of the salt, pepper, granulated garlic and Creole seasoning.

2. Roll up the meat, starting at the smallest end. Tie the roll with kitchen string at 1-inch intervals. Season the outside of the roast with the remaining salt, pepper, granulated garlic and Creole seasoning; dust with the flour.

3. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium heat; brown all sides of roast in the pan. Place roast on a large sheet of heavy aluminum foil; wrap foil around roast. Place in a large baking dish; bake to desired doneness or until a meat thermometer registers 150 degrees for medium, about 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the roast. Let rest 10 minutes. Remove foil; slice.

Nutrition information per serving:

428 calories, 33% of calories from fat, 15 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 207 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbohydrates, 58 g protein, 633 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

Do they have the recipie for Nutria Roast?

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my kitchen is now a shoe closet...

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Folse is pretty big on game. Used to be able to get his sausage up here (Bayou Smoke House) Pecan Smoked Andouille to die for. He has an awesome resturaunt in B Rouge little on the pricey side but man what a dietary dream.

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Powerpig and the Mrs. can cook up some incredible jumbalaya.....and blackened catfish too. Drooling on keyboard...

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I managed a TV station in Morgan City, LA in the early nineties. We used to do cooking segments with Chef Folse and other Cajun Chefs. He's a great chef and person and loves LA. Thanks for the cooking compliments Mistress.

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