Q&A with Professional Chef and Avid Outdoorsman Andrew Zimmern

Along with being an award-winning chef, Andrew Zimmern can cast a line and swing a shotgun with the best of them. While Zimmern is known for culinary skills, he is also an avid outdoorsman. His latest TV endeavor is Outdoor Channel’s “Field to Fire,” where the chef hits the waterways and fields to source organic meat before demonstrating how to create culinary masterpieces the old-fashioned way—over an open fire.

Although Zimmern has a busy schedule, Game & Fish sat down with Zimmern to explore his thoughts on sourcing wild game and the best way to cook it over an open fire.

G&F: How did you get your start in hunting? At what age, who mentored you, what was your first game animal(s) taken and did anything memorable stand out to you now about that first hunt?

AZ: My best friend took me hunting at age 17, and a local farmer in Long Island taught us waterfowling for 7-8 years. Duck/geese were my first game animals that first year. I will never forget how angry I was that local hunters breasted out the birds in the field and weren’t utilizing the whole animal. So, I came home with lots of dark quarters.

G&F: Do you continue to hunt personally, and how often do you get afield with such a busy career?

AZ: Yes, about 10-12 days a year. Same for fishing.

G&F: What are your thoughts on the connection between hunters and the game they pursue? How important is it for Americans to understand where their food comes from, commercially or from a personal harvest?

AZ: It’s very important. We need to hunt/fish for fun, food, feeding others, the environment in some cases, socializing, understanding our ecosystem, conservation purposes and many other reasons. Everyone should understand where our food comes from, but the hunting/fishing experience is a teeny fraction of our food system, so that, to me, is a moot point. I do believe more Americans should be eating wild foods.

G&F: Can you talk about how the new show differentiates itself from other field-to-table shows?

AZ: Well, none of them except “Wild Game Kitchen” has me. I am not a professional hunter, fisherman or an outdoors person. So, there is that difference. We also have the most beautifully shot shows and superb food, and they are fun to watch. These shows are simply my experiences, and I hope that rings true with our audience.

G&F: Cooking wild game can be intimidating even for the best home cook. What would be your advice for them to begin using ethically sourced protein?

AZ: Well, some foods in a supermarket, farmers market, etc., are ethically sourced, so let’s be clear on our terms. And I respectfully disagree, I think a competent home cook can cook anything. Wild fish is the same as any other fish; it just might be a species we aren’t familiar with, and wild meat is very easy to prepare. Like anything else, you have to experiment because it is often less fatty, intramuscularly and intermuscularly, so it’s less forgiving. At the end of the day, it’s just food.

G&F: What are the major differences between cooking in a kitchen versus cooking outside over an open fire?

AZ: Everything. Wind, fire temperature, air temp, cooking pan temperature, managing the fire to maintain a consistent temperature, keeping coal production going, I mean, everything… kitchens are set it and forget it affairs comparatively, and that’s why I love cooking outdoors.

G&F: What are the preferred cooking techniques you like for certain cuts of protein?

AZ: Grilling, luxury cuts from hoofed animals; Whole animal cookery, large birds, small-hoofed animals; Braising, birds, especially upland game birds

G&F: How do you keep your recipes fresh and new?

AZ: I never stop learning, and I try to always stay teachable.

Coming soon to G&F: Zimmern’s favorite wild game recipes, including Grilled Redfish in a Crawfish Sauce, Nilgai Braciole with Nilgai Sausage over Polenta, Red Wine Braised Duck with Sauteed Spinach and Partridge a la Cacciatora.

• Episodes of “Field to Fire” can be watched on the Outdoor Channel and TasteMade.

---

---