By George McIvor, chairman of The Master Chefs of Great Britain 

Game on 

Game falls into several categories: 

• Small birds including quail, winged game such as duck or grouse 

• Ground game hare, rabbit and squirrel 

• Big game which is predominantly venison in this country but includes animals like wild boar, moose or caribou 

Game is, of course, wild, predominantly free range and thrives on foods from its natural habitat! Game meat is generally low in fat and cholesterol and high in protein and thus a healthy alternative to some other red meats. 

Venison has higher levels of iron than other red meat as does pheasant and partridge which are also a good source of vitamin B(6).

  1. A quacking dish Go quackery with over this slow-roasted supreme of duck served with parsnip purée, gratin dauphinoise, green beans and blackberry jus. 
  2. Hare-raising A loin of hare wrapped in pancetta with a pheasant and thyme mousse makes for an elegant main. 
  3. Quirky quail The small bird that’s big on taste. Try serving Norfolk quail with delicious beetroot, pearl barley and watercress. Partridge or pigeon will also work well for this dish. 
  4. Game for anything For a deliciously different take on game, try an Indian ‘Thali’ with roast loin of Scottish Speyside venison, chana dahl and bhartha with griddled squat brinjal, peanut sauce, spiced pea puree with fried paneer, mint sauce, aloo gobi, spiced pearl onion salad and roti bread.
  5. Slate age This eye-catching roast loin of venison dish features wholegrain Finn Crisp purée, parsnip purée, creamed cabbage with multigrain lardons, wild mushroom pithivier and tuille.

Recipes supplied by: 

1. Chris Wheeler, of Stoke Park 

2. Jose Souto of Westminster Kingsway College 

3. Eric Snaith, of Titchwell Manor Summer Sharkey 

4. University College Birmingham, winners of Zest Quest Asia 2017 

5. Christopher Cave, winner of the Finn Crisp Challenge in 2014 

All of the recipes are available at www.stiritupmagazine.co.uk/recipes. 

The Master Chefs of Great Britain was formed in 1980 to provide a forum for the exchange of culinary ideas and to further the profession through training and the guidance of young chefs. In addition, the association seeks to promote all that is best about British cuisine and produce. We are delighted to be working with The Country Range Group and providing information and recipes for their Eat the Season feature. 

For more information on the association, our Annual Lunch at Luton Hoo on November 5th and the competitions and training opportunities we provide contact masterchefs@msn.com.