Game On! A guide to game
It's British, in season, free-range, and low in fat. So why aren't we going mad for game?
A few weeks ago when I wrote my open letter of introduction to you dear reader, one or two of the replies asked for more advice on sourcing and cooking game. Ask most folk why they don’t consider game as a mealtime choice at this time of year and you’ll receive one or all of the following responses; ‘It’s tough’, ‘it smells funny’, ‘I can’t find it in my local supermarket’, and ‘I don’t know how to cook it’. It seems most of the British public would rather eat fatty chicken farmed in God knows where and ‘processed’ in the UK (thus it’s allowed to be called ‘British’) than try a bit of game, which is a crying shame.
Tis the season
Well, this time of year is prime game producing time, and before the cacophony of Christmas gets too loud, it’s worth enjoying the food of winter. As it happens the 5th - 19th of November 2011 is National Taste of Game Fortnight. In fact, the game season for both feathered and furred animals actually runs from mid summer, until nearly the start of spring, giving you plenty of opportunity to try game, but it’s perhaps at its best in the cooler months. So we thought we’d swing into action here at Lovefood HQ and pull together a quick guide to game over the coming days.
Give it a go
Like most cooking you have to try it; you might not get it entirely right first time, but don’t be put off. As I said in the introduction, it’s flavourful, British and free-range, low in fat, all the things we seem to want in our food these days. As for where to get it, well BASC have a guide to pubs, restaurants and game dealers by region, so you can not only buy the raw ingredient, but also try it cooked and prepared.
Are you in the know?
And to those readers who’ve got tips, experience and knowledge of where to buy and how to cook game, please share the wealth of your experience with your fellow readers in the comments below. Or if you've been put off by game tell us about it and we'll try and find a solution.
Firstly then, here’s Nick Baines with a guide to venison.
Andrew
Editor - lovefood.com
Game for more?
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