Curry chicken salad spices up chilly March mornings

LITTLE ROCK – Some of this past season’s leftover ducks or venison backstraps chilling in the deep freeze can be given lavish and tasty presentations via the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s “A Celebration of Conservation: 100 AGFC Recipes.”

The book was published in conjunction with the AGFC’s 100th anniversary in 2015 and contains recipes from AGFC employees covering several types of wild game as well as store-bought food for those without access to last year’s in-the-wild harvest. A few copies of the book remain for purchase at $5 when bought at the AGFC’s main headquarters or at the AGFC’s nature centers around Arkansas; it’s also available at http://www.agfc.com/store/Pages/Merchandise.aspx with a minor price increase for shipping.

Many of the book’s recipes have been prepared on live television on KATV, Channel 7’s “Good Morning Arkansas.” AGFC staffers appear with a seasonal recipe for a cooking segment on the last Tuesday of each month on the 9-10 a.m. show. March’s segment will feature Curry Sriracha Chicken Salad, a perfect dish for early spring with its blend of Asian and Indian flavors to spice up what can often be the mundane package of chicken breasts from the neighborhood grocer.

To get a head start and prepare it yourself, here’s how, straight out of “A Celebration of Conservation: 100 AGFC Recipes”: You’ll need three chicken breasts, 1½ cups mayonnaise, 1/3 cup dry white wine, 1/4 cup Major Grey’s chutney, 3 tablespoons curry powder, 1 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup chopped scallions, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 cup roasted salted cashews, 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, and garlic salt and course ground pepper to taste. Boil or poach the chicken breasts, allow them to cool, and then shred by hand or in a food processor. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, then add the chicken. Cover and allow it to rest overnight for best flavor.

Serve the chicken salad on green salad, in sandwiches or in a pita. The recipe will produce 4-6 servings.

The cookbook features numerous presentations of venison via appetizers or entrees. Elk, duck, rabbit, squirrel, goose and turkey are also among the wild game in recipes – some simple and quick, others more involved – along with ways to serve the many fish in our lakes and streams. Then there are presentations for vegetables and fruits, shrimp, chicken, pork and beef, whether at home or out with nature. Breads and desserts aren’t forgotten, either.