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Yockey is eminently qualified to write this unique “how to catch ‘em and how to cook ‘em” culinary guide. A “life” member of the North American Hunting Club, he has trained in fine restaurants and has hunted and fished from Seattle, Washington, through Savannah, Georgia. His book covers the South, and each chapter focuses on catching, cooking, and connecting the recipe with the animal, including a cornucopia of yummy sides and beer and wine recommendations to accompany dishes such as roast wild boar with sage and honey. Stories about hunting days are funny, educational, regionally anecdotal, and packed with advice for the sportsman. A description of a pod of dolphins herding bait fish enthralls and probably won’t be found again outside of a National Geographic special.
The introduction covers recommended equipment to prepare and store wild game, such as knives needed to quarter a 250-pound mule deer and basic spices for game. Yockey provides commercial substitutes, such as grouper and cod in place of wild-caught striped bass. And the recipes are mouth-watering! For example, there is bobwhite quail braised in cognac with peach reduction sauce, sauteed string beans with orange sesame dressing, blue crab ravioli with lemon-dill sauce, and rainbow deviled eggs for Easter. In between recipes, Yockey explains how to throw a shrimp net (with self-deprecation), start a mushroom log to cultivate mushrooms, and the fine art of bagging “power-line poultry.”
A folksy style ingrained with sheer knowledge and an ability both to respect and laugh at the man-nature dance makes this a guide to be trusted. The color photographs induce saliva, as does each chapter title, along with laughter. This seasoned adventure cookbook is perfect for new game cooks as well as old ones and entertains while encouraging the art of getting outside.