For more than 15 years, people have been coming out in droves to the Wild Game Supper to taste what chef Jim Theetge has cooked up.
The Springfield, Vt., resident said he learned to cook wild game by “by starting to do it” and relying on the skills he has learned working as a line cook.
“I just applied my own recipes to the game, and it just seemed to come out and work,” said Theetge, of Springfield, Vt.
Upper Valley residents will have a chance to try Theetge’s newest creations from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Windsor Coon Hunters Association, also known as the Windsor Coon Club, located at 2126 Hunt Hill Road. Admission is $15 for adults and $7 for children under age 12. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance. Dessert includes pies, cookies, brownies and cake. The club will provide iced tea, water and milk.
People are welcome to bring their own drinks, including alcoholic beverages. The auction portion of the evening starts at 7 p.m.
The main course includes wild turkey croquette with a chipotle black bean cheddar sauce.
“I’m going to top it with a fresh corn salsa,” Theetge said. “I think that will go over really good.”
Crowd favorite venison and bear lasagna will be back, along with smoked and grilled fish and game stew.
“Some stuff you have to leave alone and some stuff you have to tenderize a little bit,” Theetge said.
His favorite wild game to cook is venison because “it’s more versatile.”
Last year, Theetge’s venison chimichangas were a huge hit. He seasoned them using techniques he learned from a Korean chef he used to work with.
“Moose and elk are a little difficult,” Theetge said. “They’re just so lean. There’s not a lot of fat, so you have to really flavor it up.”
He said he struggles with what to do with wild turkey legs.
“I’ve tried filling them. I’ve tried cooking them separately. They’re just rubberbands. I haven’t been able to get them to come out yet so they’re edible,” Theetge said. But “the turkey breast you use is very versatile. You can do anything with that.”
The meat used for the supper is donated by community members. This year, member Tim Flinn brought in two wild turkeys and a complete deer, half of the meat needed for the supper. Vermont Fish and Wildlife warden Jason Gravelle donated a small bear on behalf of the department.
“We would cook whatever we can get,” said Sherry Barbour, the club’s secretary.
Theetge bases his menu off whatever meat is available. One year, that included 6 pounds of alligator that he chopped up with olives and olive oil and made into bruschetta. He toasted bread, added garlic/herb butter, put the alligator mixture on the bread and topped it off with melted cheese.
“My work starts probably 2½ weeks before the supper,” Theetge said. “I’ve always been able to do volume. That’s the key. A lot of people know how to cook … But to make all that stuff come together at the same time takes a lot of skill.”
Venison and wild turkey tend to be the most common.
“Sometimes we fight to get bear or moose,” Theetge said. “We were fortunate to get enough venison and bear so we will have a couple of roasts.”
The roasts will be accompanied by mashed potatoes, which are another crowd-pleaser. And that’s not all.
“He’s known for his corn chowder,” Barbour said.
Theetge uses smoked bacon ends donated by Green Mountain Smokehouse and a bushel of corn donated by Blais Produce Farm Stand in North Springfield, Vt.
“They were calling it liquid gold,” Theetge said. “I’m pretty proud of that.”
Barbour said the Windsor Coon Club, started in the 1930s, is the oldest, continuously running sportsmen club in Vermont.
“They originally hunted raccoons. That’s how the coon name came into it,” she said. “They ate everything they caught. It wasn’t just raccoons. It was rabbits. Anything that would be good for dinner.”
The club currently has 28 active members, who come from many towns in the region. People must be 18 and older to join and be sponsored by a current member, Barbour said.
“Back in the old days, it was in the hundreds and they had a waiting list of people who wanted to join,” Barbour said.
In the last few years, membership has started to grow, particularly among younger folks.
“They’re more active, which is what we want,” Barbour said.
Fundraising efforts led to the club being able to rehabilitate the pond on their property, which includes an archery trail for members to use as practice and a place to target shoot. This June they held a fishing derby that drew 31 children, along with their parents. The pond was dedicated to Richard L. Webster, who kept the club going during its lean years. The club plans to make the derby an annual event.
Those interested in joining the club or learning more about can contact Barbour at barbour.sherry@yahoo.com.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
