If you’ve been reading this column long, you have probably learned that eating fish and game is a very important element of the total outdoor experience for this old outdoor scribe.
I definitely thrill at the adrenaline rush when a big buck steps out of the brush or when a big catfish or striper bows the tip of my fishing rod toward the lake’s surface. But if I were to be totally honest, way back in the back of mind, even during the excitement of the moment I’m thinking about venison steak or fried catfish. Blame it on my rural upbringing but through the years, I have learned to prepare the fruits of my outdoor adventures and absolutely love sharing the bounty with family and friends.
This past week, I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon and early evening with some great friends over in Kaufman County. For the past year, I have shared many outdoor adventures with Edgar and David Cotton on Edgar’s piece of outdoor paradise. Our mutual friend Larry Weishuhn aka “Mr. Whitetail” joins us frequently; we’re all birds of a feather and greatly enjoy each other’s company. We were all hunting big food plots and everyone saw a lot of deer, just not the fully mature buck we were all targeting. I was using a very good pair of binoculars to study the deer which were stopping in these very green patches of leafy greens to nibble. I studied some of these plants that were growing close to the blind through the binoculars and noted a distinct purple top to the root above ground. Turnip. And several acres of them planted in with the other deer nourishing plants in the food plot.
My rural roots kicked in and I envisioned some fresh turnip greens with plenty of chunks of fresh turnip mixed in for supper. Larry had mentioned to me that he was going to show me how he debones chicken thighs and grills them over a hardwood fire for supper. If I picked a mess of greens and turnips and clean them up at camp I could have them ready by the time he had the chicken done over the oak embers, I continued glassing the food plot and watching deer munching on turnip greens.
The more the deer ate the hungrier I became for that sweet flavor of tender turnips and greens. As the sun settled over the western horizon and legal shooting time came to a close I noticed a dark spot on the far side of the field. It was a wild hog slowly working his way toward me, munching of course on turnips.
The porker was steadily heading my way and I seldom pass up the chance to put some fresh pork backstrap in the cooler. I eased out of the elevated blind and leaned the Mossberg 6.5 Creedmoor Patriot on the top rail of the ladder and settled the crosshairs on the boar’s neck. On he came until he was about 50 yards out, munching on a big turnip. When he held his head up after pulling the turnip from the ground, I could see it was a prize winner at any county fair, not the hog, the turnip.
It was a good four inches across the top. Light was fading fast but I could make the hogs out in my scope just fine. But, contrary to my nature, I didn’t shoot. I knew David and the crew would be coming to pick me up in a very few minutes. If I shot the boar, my turnip plans would be disrupted and for the past couple hours, I had become fixated on preparing a turnip green side dish to accompany the grilled chicken thighs.
I unloaded the rifle and backed my gear down out of the stand to the ground and switched on my flashlight. In the next few minutes, I harvested turnips as fast as workers on a southern California lettuce farm. I heard the motor of the ATV purring back in the woods and soon David, Edgar and Larry pulled into the edge of the big food plot. They obviously could see my flashlight as I feverishly loaded my pack with turnips and greens. As they pulled up to me, David inquired, “Looking for blood? You shoot a good one?”
No, says I as I held up a big tasty turnip with greens attached. I saw plenty of deer and one good-eating hog a few minutes ago but I’ve been picking greens since dark.
“Y’all like turnips with greens?”
Larry and Edgar nodded approvingly but I noted a bit of hesitation on David’s face. Maybe I needed to introduce him to some good country eating!
Back at camp, I quickly peeled several turnips, washed the greens and put them on the stove with a bit of chopped bacon, salt and sugar. Yep, sugar adds a lot of flavor to a pot of greens. While the pot of greens was cooking, I watched Larry deftly remove the leg bone from the chicken thighs.
“I began removing the leg bone years ago,” says Larry.
I dearly love the flavor of grilled thigh meat but getting the meat well done with the bone in is a challenge. I watched Larry season the meat with Cavenders, his favorite dry seasoning and place them directly over a very hot fire. The flames from the pieces of oak cook wood were licking the bottom of the chicken pieces. The trick is continually turning the chicken to avoid burning and insure the meat is done through and through. In a matter of a few minutes, the thigh meat was well done and Larry was removing it from the grill. Inside the cabin, my turnip greens were done to a turn.
My good friends and I settled down to a meal of the best grilled chicken I’ve ever eaten and some pretty darned tasty greens, especially after we sprinkled a little pepper sauce over them. The only thing lacking was cornbread but I just didn’t know I would be cooking greens that evening when I headed out to hunt deer. No buck on the meat pole during this short hunt but some great memories that will last a lifetime.
Contact outdoors writer Luke Clayton through his website www.catfishradio.org
