Make the most of the season with four winter recipes from Wild + Whole

1. Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, garlic, parmesan and dill. While whisking, slowly pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream, then whisk to emulsify. Taste and season with salt, pepper and extra dill, if desired. Set aside.
2. Make the salad: In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the cauliflower in a single layer. For maximum crispiness, leave room between the pieces and work in batches as needed. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, undisturbed, for a minute or two, then flip and sear the other side until the florets are toasted and golden on the outside but still have a snappy texture; if you’re using purple cauliflower, it should retain its colour. Set aside to cool.
3. Remove the ribs from the cauliflower leaves. Stack the leaves on top of one another, tightly roll them up like a cigar, and thinly slice them crosswise. In a large bowl, toss the sliced cauliflower leaves and the seared cauliflower with a couple spoonfuls of the vinaigrette. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving to macerate and infuse with flavour.
4. Add the frisée, pear, walnuts and parmesan to the bowl with the cauliflower and toss to combine. Drizzle with more vinaigrette and chopped dill as desired and serve.

1. At least an hour before you're ready to cook the scallops, season them generously with salt on both sides. Place the scallops on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and cover with another layer of paper towels to soak up excess moisture. Transfer the pan to the refrigerator.
2. Place the raisins in a small bowl. Pour the vinegar into a small pot and season with a couple pinches of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the honey and stir until it has dissolved. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the raisins and set aside to soak for at least 1 hour. (The raisins can be pickled several days in advance and stored in the pickling liquid in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)
3. Remove the scallops from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to cooking and pat them very dry with afresh paper towel, if needed. Lightly coat the bottom of a large skillet with a thin layer of oil and set over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, use tongs to place each scallop in the pan, leaving room between them (work in batches, if needed). Cook until the bottoms develop a golden-brown crust, about 3 minutes. You'l notice the opacity and texture changing on the sides of the scallops; they should be three-quarters of the way done. Flip and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the second side, then transfer the scallops to a plate and set aside.

Pecan Dukkah

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spread the pecans evenly over a large baking sheet and toast in the oven for 12 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, cumin and coriander seeds and toast, shaking the pan for even distribution and so that nothing burns, until the seeds are fragrant and starting to pop, about 1 minute.
3. Transfer the toasted seeds to a mortar and pound them with the pestle to crush the spices to a coarse consistency. Transfer to a small bowl.
4. In the same skillet, toast the benne seeds over medium-high heat, shaking the pan or stirring frequently, for about 1 minute, until they turn light golden in colour. Transfer them to the bowl with the crushed spices.
5. Coarsely chop the pecans by hand or pulse in a food processor until the nuts have a coarse, granular consistency. Add them to the bowl with the spices and benne seeds. Add the salt, sugar and cayenne and stir until well blended. Store the dukkah in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a few months.

1. Remove the meat from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 225 F on the convection setting (if you don't have convection, preheat to 250 F).
2. Trim off the thin layer of silver skin that covers the top and outside of the meat (don't try to break it down on the inside). Reserve the trimmings for making the jus. Use kitchen twine and truss the roast so that it will cook evenly.
3. Heat a large skillet over very high heat, then add 1 to 2 Tbsp beef tallow. When the tallow is hot, generously rub the meat all over with mushroom rub and sear it until just golden brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer the meat to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack (set the skillet aside). Drizzle the top with some tallow and stick an oven-safe meat thermometer into the meat at its thickest point. Roast for 1 to 2 hours, depending on how thick the meat is (a doe's sirloin tip is a third the size of an elk's!), until the meat is 5 to 8 degrees from the desired final temperature. Carryover heat will continue cooking the meat as it rests.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the reserved meat trimmings, stock, garlic, thyme and gelatin (if using). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle bubble. Simmer until the liquid has reduced to 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Strain and set aside.
5. When the meat has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the oven and transfer to a cutting board to rest. Set the skillet in which you browned the meat over medium-high heat. Pour in the Worcestershire, wine and reduced stock, and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes to burn off the alcohol, then remove from the heat. Taste and season the jus with a few tsp of the mushroom rub, or to taste.
6. Slice the venison roast into ½- to 1-inch-thick slices or into very thin slices for French dip sandwiches. Serve with the hot jus.

Mushroom Rub

1. Working in batches, pulse the dried mushrooms in a spice grinder until you reach a coarse powder. Transfer to an airtight container, stir in the salt, rosemary and pepper, and cover. Store in a cool, dark spot for up to 1 year.

1. In a large saucepan, combine the milk, porcini and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium-low heat just until bubbles form around the edges of the pan —do not allow the milk to boil — then remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Let stand for 30 minutes to infuse the milk with the flavour of the porcini.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth. Set aside.
4. Strain the infused milk through a fine-mesh strainer, lightly pressing on the solids with a spatula — but not so much that you're forcing pureed mushroom through — then return it to the saucepan (discard the solids and give the strainer a quick rinse, as you'll use it again). Add the cream and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, then turn off the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until fully melted and combined.
5. While whisking continuously, use a ladle to slowly pour about ½ cup of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, then whisk until combined. Repeat with about ½ cup more of the hot cream mixture, then whisk the contents of the bowl into the saucepan with the remaining cream until the custard is well blended. Strain the custard to give it a silky texture and ensure that there are no bits of cooked egg, then stir in the hazelnut liqueur.
6. Divide the custard evenly among six 4-oz ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking dish or a roasting pan and pour water into the pan to come about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover with aluminum foil and poke several holes in the foil to release steam. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the custard is set; it will wobble in the middle fi shaken, but the edges shouldn't move. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the ramekins from the water bath to a wire rack to cool. You can serve the pots de creme warm, but they're best when covered and refrigerated for a few hours to thicken the custard (they will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week).
7. Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: In a large bowl, using a whisk or handheld mixer, whisk the cream, hazelnut liqueur and confectioners' sugar until it holds soft peaks. (If you're not serving it immediately, the whipped cream can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.)
8. Serve the pots de creme warm or chilled, topped with the whipped cream and shaved chocolate, if desired.