Notes from Kingfisher Lodge

  I’m back for the second season here at the King Fisher and as excited  as ever! I spent the winter in South Florida, Cooking fish fresh from the deep and exploring the Cuban side of American cuisine adding that touch to the modern South-Western dishes that go so well with our Montana cowboy attitude here at the lodge. 

  Unfortunately, Heidi has moved on to other opportunities and she is no longer with us so being busy starting the season my hours have been amplified some, but no worries that’s what I’m here for. Keeping the ovens up and the burners burning with the bread proofing  I promise to keep your appetite filled with great, art-full plates of food as you personal culinary “Guide” at home here at the lodge! 

Slow Cooked Lamb Shank

We had a great time making lunch and working with Pate Choux pastry. I demonstrated the versatility of the pastry how it is made with  milk and with water, showing the results from the two. We also made chocolate mousse and sampled home brewed beer and wines paired to the food.

Here I’m showing the Opha fish to the class. Opha or “Moon Fish” is a fish similar to Hamachi or Yellow tail, it can grow up to 200 pounds and is great for grilling, searing and sashimi. We used it for our summer roll. It was chili rubbed, seared rare and wrapped with jicama, water cress, red peppers and an avocado aioli.

Big Horn Bison Sopapilla

Fresh wild hops grow near by and the make excellent wild apple cider beer!

Sun Rise At the Lodge

This is a great representation of the peace we have here!  I have the opportunity to catch one of these from time to time.

  Unfortunately I did not have a camera, but we caught a glimpse of the northern lights a night or two ago as well.

Keep your eyes open and see it all!

Homemade Mortadella!

After it was cure smoked.

Finished Product.

I’ve been doing some new dishes that keep the tongue tingling. This was made from the pig that we roasted in the ground.

  I have been working with some nice cherries and seeping them in a star anise port wine. Then I put them together as a tart.

Cherry’s and Port with stat anise ice cream

Chocolate Mille-Feuille

Avocado, Black Walnut and Danish Blue Salad

Wild Boar BLT

And then of course we had Cash’s birthday and I made the cake.

Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

For those of you that would like to see pics or get recipes for some of the food that you had while staying here. you may contact me at  kwgchef@yahoo.com.

Pig Roast!

We all had a great Fourth! We cooked mister piggy in the ground, played horse shoes, and did our best not to catch any thing on fire.  I returned to work Tuesday with 20 pounds of black morel and a couple of porcini mushrooms. not bad for being this late in the season. I was on a quest for the King Bolitace but found the other lurking. What a prize!

With that I went to work planning out the week! There is never a shortage of help from the boys and I think this may be a good starting point for Kade! The only way to learn the job is to do it!

A young chef in the making!

Happy 4th of July!!!!

We are cooking a pig in the ground and will  show you it all from start to finish later. Need the bang first!!!

Tumbleweed of Brie

Seared Scallop with ginger corn custard and chili creme, shrimp butter

Peach tart

Breakfast quiche

Range and Sky!

This is one of my new favorites! It represents the classic French style of cooking. The best thing is also that it represents Montana and its surplus of wild game that helps to put peace at mind reminding us of our heritage. One could only imagine the herds that once roamed the area where the lodge now sits, just as the coveys of pheasant that are still so plentiful, one has to be cautious while driving. (they’re as thick as the bugs)

I put together the idea for this dish while camping and doing what I do in my off time, think of food!  I started by implemented the coul fat I so love, and some of the ground bison I have on hand. The pheasants I then broke down, using the bones for stock.

The legs I then stuffed with caramelized onion and garlic. I placed some duck fat in the pan to help with the moisture and seasoned them before roasting in a hot oven. It is nice to use a little aluminum foil to keep the drummets from burning!

After laying out the coul fat, laying out the seasoned minced bison and applying a layer of coriander pesto, I placed the pheasant breast in the center and began to roll the “sausage” tightly into the link.

It’s not necessary to tie the links. They will roast nicely in the hot oven and maintain their shape.

Dinner With the Seattle Guys!

These guys were a great group that could fish all day and still have the energy to laugh until late at night!

To contact me for recipies  kwgchef@yahoo.com is the best way!

We didn’t stop with the Range and Sky!

Carmel Popcorn Sweet Bread

Asian Braised Pork Belly w/ date mustard

Preserved Lemon and Herb Confit / Roast Chicken

Strawberry Rhubarb Poppy Cheese Cake

Herb has an “H” in it!

The herb garden is coming up well thanks to Keri’s constant maintenance!

I would like to thank those who commented on the “processed chicken” I serve for a lunch sandwich.

I do several favored types and are, like I say, “easy but complicated,” but I thought I would share a few pics and the process as it goes.

There is one key ingredient that can be hard to find if you are attempting this at home, coul fat, every animal has it holding their stomach together but pig coul fat works the best! Ask a local butcher or specialty store if they carry it or can get it for you. I use Prairie Harvest, a company that deals in wild game and specialty meats www.prairieharvest.com .

Coul fat has been used since the beginning of food preparation. It’s handy for holding together meats and other components for slow roasting and sausage making. The thin layer of coul fat nearly cooks away and helps to maintain the shape of what it has in side. It was the original way that processed lunch meats were put together by the butcher until mass production in factories took over. It’s an art that I love to continue to utilize and to share with those who are interested in the way true food is done! I’m planning a ”Range and Sky” later this week which I will utilize the coul fat. Check back later for the pics and process!!

I start by spreading the coul fat out and placing the marinaded chicken on the side closest to me. This is a South Western Chili Rubbed Chicken I’m doing.

I roll the coul fat around the chicken, keeping it nice and tight, tucking in the ends as I roll.

Once it is all rolled up, I use butchers twine to tie it.

I roast it at 350 degrees for approximately 30 min or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165.

Of  course, I cool it off and, after removing the butcher twine, I slice it on a sharp slicer!

The end process results in a slice of sandwich meat! There is nothing better when it’s fresh!

Braised Pork Belly, Cappicola Stuffed Date

Evening Dinner

Hour d’ Oeuvres

Crispy Frog Legs with almond butter

Smoked Walleye on potato blini

Appetizer

Braised Pork Belly, cappicola wrapped and goat cheese stuffed dates

Dinner

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, potatoes au gratin, oven roasted ratatouille tart, chev cream and lamb jus

Dessert

Aztec Chocolate Cake, chantilly cream, hazelnut caramel

It’s been a great week! I’ve had the music up and there has been life in the kitchen!

The weather has finally come around and the sun has been shining. I had a friendly little visitor today and got a photo of the guy up close and personal!

“May I Hang Out”

I brought in some very nice Walu to do a special diner Tuesday night. Walu is Hawaiian for Escolar. It is often called “White Tuna” becouse of its tuna-like characteristics and delicate flavor. Matt and I had some for lunch as sashimi and had to stop eating so that i would have enough for the diner! It will be a fish that I will bring in again!

Thie Shrimp Spring Rolls, coconut peanut

Poached Chicken and Spinach Fromage Pastries

Ginger Corn and Lemon Crepe, shrimp butter and radish slaw

Grilled Walu, wilted arugula, sweet n sour vinaigrette

Roasted Peach and Banana Pudding, gara masala chantilly cream

There is never a down time at the lodge.  Matt and I keep the good times rolling!  I’m ecstatic about being a part of the family and have been working on new ideas nightly!

Although the morels have stopped coming up, there are plenty in my storeroom. With over two hundred pounds - Yes over 2 hundred pounds!!! - gathered this year between Matt and I, the fragrance is alive.  From the the bunnies stuffed to the fish crusted, I still put out the soups and pastas with morel madness.

I’m currently on the look out for wild asparagus and scouting the mountains for the porcini and chanterelle hiding spots.

My last dinner was spectacular!  It consisted of:

Bison and Barly Soup with basil compote

Roasted Vegetable Terrine and balsamic coriander vinaigrette

Five Spice Seared Chicken chili

Pappardelle pasta and roasted garlic cream

Strawberry and Banana “short cake”