HuntingNet.com Forums - Cooking elk scallopini

For some chunks of elk meat (I butcher my elk myself) -- chunks that are flat or too small for using as roasts -- I will slice thin slices and pound these thin slices still thinner with a meat mallet to make scallops. I salt and pepper the scallops on both sides, dredge in flour, and fry quickly on moderately high heat in a mix of butter and olive oil (the olive oil helps prevent the butter from burning). I cook 90 seconds per side. I put the cooked elk scallops on a warm plate and put in a warming bin in the oven or a warmish oven (pre-heated and then turned off). (I wrap and freeze the chunk of elk meat whole. I only slice up when I have defrosted the meat and am ready to cook the meat.)

I then make a sauce. I put chopped shallot into the remaining butter and olive oil and fry for a minute or two. I put some previously boiled down dry white wine (reduced to 1/3 of its original volume) in the skillet and some fresh squeezed lemon juice. I then add heavy cream and stir all that together. I boil the cream until it thickens, stirring all the while.

I then serve the elk scallops on a serving platter with chopped parsley scattered over it and serve the sauce in a separate sauce bowl. This is very good.

I like to serve rice pilaf and buttered cooked green peas as accompanying side dishes. Chardonnay white wine goes very well with this.

Quantities for 2 adults
1 LB elk meat (or a little more), cleaned of hair, membrane, and tendons, cut into scallops and pounded with a meat mallet. The slices can be small, for example 2" by 2" up to 5" on a side. There is no need for these slices to be uniform in area. They should be about the same thickness.

2/3 cup dry white wine (chardonnay, sauvignon blanc)
2/3 cup heavy cream
fresh lemon for lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
fresh chopped parsley
2 shallots, peeled and chopped