National Geographic Traveller (UK) - Food
On the menu
FROM AN ELK-SAUSAGE HOTDOG TO FRENCH WILD BOAR STEW, GAME DISHES ARE FOUND ON MENUS THE WORLD OVER. HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST
DAUBE OF VENISON Rules, London
For classic British game dishes in a decadent setting, there’s nowhere like Rules — founded in 1798, it claims to be the city’s oldest restaurant. A daube is a French dish named after the braising pot (daubiére) used to slow cook tougher cuts. Here, the venison comes with new potatoes, green beans and wild garlic butter. £28.95. rules.co.uk
DUCK LIVER PARFAIT The Fordwich Arms, Kent
This Michelin-starred riverside pub in Fordwich, England’s smallest town, offers game in season — diners have raved about the pheasant dumplings and the Norfolk quail with fairy ring champignon mushrooms. The duck liver parfait, served with a Sauternes jelly and warm doughnuts, meanwhile, is a firm favourite all year round. £15. fordwicharms.co.uk
ELK JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR DOG Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs, Denver
What began life as a hotdog cart is now a bricks-and-mortar Denver institution. Biker Jim has been featured on numerous US TV shows; his hotdog sausages (made from less commonly eaten wild meats) won praise from the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. Favourites include rattlesnake and rabbit, but it’s the elk jalepeño cheddar dog, topped with cream cheese and caramelised onions, that should be sampled first. $7.50 (£5.49). bikerjimsdogs.com
PEKING DUCK Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck, Singapore
Made using methods employed for centuries in the imperial kitchens of Beijing, the duck here is dry rubbed with salt, sugar and Chinese spices before being air-dried for 48 hours and then slow-roasted over lychee wood. The result is tender, smoky meat with a crisp, glossy skin. Carved at the table, it’s served with spring onion, cucumber, pancakes and hoisin sauce. Order in advance. Whole duck, S$90 (£49). imperialtreasure.com
DAUBE DE SANGLIER Hôtel Restaurant des Maures, Provence
The village of Collobrières in Var, Provence, is surrounded by the forests of the Massif des Maures. Here, wild boar feast on the chestnuts for which Collobrières is famed; the village’s restaurants and bistros are great places to try both. At the fifth-generation family restaurant at the Hôtel de Maures, the traditional local dish of wild boar stew with chestnuts is accompanied by provençal tomatoes and a gratin dauphinoise. €14.50 (£12.45). hoteldesmaures.fr
PAN-ROASTED DUCK BREAST Ardanaiseig, Argyll and Bute
The menu at this hotel restaurant in the Highlands is based around local ingredients, meaning in autumn and winter, there’s game to be had. The pan-roasted duck breast comes with pickled beetroot, a vegetable dauphinoise potato, roasted fig, pancetta cream and a plum gel. £39 (as part of a three-course menu). ardanaiseig.com/food
QUAIL, MANDARIN, ONION Mr Morris, Auckland
Samoan-born chef Michael Meredith is known for his intensely focused, ingredient-led approach to cooking. His second restaurant, Mr Morris, offers a short menu of complex yet playful dishes with deceptively simple names. The eponymous half bird in his ‘quail, mandarin, onion’ is presented on zesty mandarin puree, its leg (with foot still attached!) stretching out from beneath a cover of curry leaves and onion. NZ$29 (£15). mrmorris.nz
VENISON BOLOGNESE Weyerhof, Bramberg am Wildkogel, Austria
Since 1832, the now nearly 900-year-old Weyerhof has belonged to the Meilinger family, who run the hotel-restaurant with exceptional attention to detail. Chef-owner Franz Meilinger’s menu is a blend of traditional Austrian cuisine and creative modern dishes that shows off the very best of the Pinzgau region’s produce. Come autumn, there’s game from Weyerhof’s own hunting grounds; the delicate venison bolognese is an absolute knockout, presented meticulously on sage fregola with chanterelles, iced wild cranberries and fermented green blueberries (the former two foraged and preserved here in summer). €22.50 (£19.30). weyerhof.at