Published with the permission of Harvesting Natures Justin Townsend!

Read more from Justin at: https://harvestingnature.com/

Description:

I like using wild game meats for breakfast meals because it is when I put on my best thinking cap. Dinner recipes tend to fall towards a variation on a steak. Sharing wild game is one of my favorite ways to start a conversation about hunting, wild lands conservation, or even just life in general. To make everyone feel comfortable, I tend to make dinner meals that feel familiar, like a steak with a mushroom sauce or brown gravy, and then switch the wild game in. Breakfast seems to be the time when I stray away from the familiar and share something a little bit different.

The ground venison in this recipe is filled with warm and comforting spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. It makes the dish pair wonderfully with a mug of hot coffee, but the spices also pair great with the nutty portabella mushrooms and fresh chopped greens. I added goat cheese to the crepe for a hint of tanginess to pop out from the cinnamon spice mixture on the venison and also to assist the slightly sour taste from the crepes.

These savory breakfast crepes are perfect for a cooler early morning breakfast before heading out on a fun day or a lazy, mid-day brunch where the goal is to take your time and relax. 

Serves: 8 – 12

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground venison
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil, such as avocado, canola, or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 oz whipped goat cheese
• Baby portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 cups chopped greens, such as chard or spinach
• 8 eggs
• 1 cup sour dough starter
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• ¾ cup milk, or a non-dairy alternative milk such as almond or soy (make sure to use unflavored and unsweetened)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• With a whisk, mix together ingredients for crepe batter: 8 eggs, cup of sour dough starter, ¾ cup milk, and some salt.
• Allow the melted butter to cool slightly before adding, so it will not cook the eggs. Slowly drizzle the melted butter into the crepe batter while whisking. Mix until smooth.
• Let crepe batter rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.
• Preheat a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the tablespoon of cooking oil and pound of ground venison.
• Brown meat for five minutes.
• Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for five more minutes.
• Season the venison mixture with the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. 
• Add greens and cook an additional two minutes. Drop temperature of pan to low and keep venison mixture warm while making crepes.
• In a medium non-stick skillet, grease the pan with a bit of butter or cooking oil and heat over medium high heat.
• Pour a ¼ cup of the crepe batter into the hot pan, tilting and twirling the pan while pouring and spreading the crepe batter evenly over the bottom of the pan.
• Once the batter is evenly spread over the pan bottom, allow to cook for 90 seconds. Flip with a spatula and cook the other side for 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the pan as necessary between crepes.
• To fill the crepe, spread a layer of whipped goat cheese and then add a generous scoop of the venison and mushroom mixture. Roll and serve!

Cocktail Pairing

Due to the strong flavor in the Goat Cheese the best cocktail pairing for this dish is a simple Gin and Tonic.

Ingredients:

• 4 cubes ice
• 2 fluid ounces gin
• 4 fluid ounces tonic water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 lime wedge

Make it:

Place ice cubes in a tall, narrow glass. Pour gin over ice; add tonic water and lime juice. Stir well and serve.

Get Cooking!

As always, good luck this fall everyone and remember to send any success pictures or stories from the field to [email protected] and you could be featured on our website or in our magazine. If this article or any of our articles have helped you become a better hunter or conservation steward, consider becoming a member of the Mule Deer Foundation for only $35 dollars a year.