Chef Kipp Bourdeau
Pine Creek Sporting Club
Okeechobee, FL

Ingredients for the Scallops
8 fresh scallops, u/10 size
1 teaspoon olive oil
Directions for the Scallops
1 Remove side muscle from scallops, pat dry with a paper towel, season each scallop with sea salt.
2 Place a non-stick sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil and place scallops in pan. Let scallops sear for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown, remove from pan.
3 Keep warm.
Ingredients for the Grits
1 cup Anson Mills stone ground grits
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup white cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon herb Boursin cheese
Directions for the Grits
1 In a medium sauce pan over medium heat bring chicken stock to low simmer; add grits slowly, whisking to avoid lumps.
2 Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until smooth and creamy, stirring occasionally.
3 Adjust thickness with chicken stock if needed.
4 Stir in cheeses, and season with white pepper and sea salt.
5 Keep warm.
Ingredients for the Chowder
2 strips applewood smoked bacon, diced
1 white onion, small dice
1 celery rib, small dice
4 ears sweet corn, removed from cobb
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved with 2 tablespoons of chicken stock or water
1 Idaho potato, peeled, prepared in small dice
Directions for the Chowder
1 In a large stockpot over medium heat add bacon, cook until lightly brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
2 Add onion, celery and sweet corn, cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
3 Add chicken stock, bring to a low simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
4 Add cornstarch, cook for 5 minutes.
5 Remove from pot to a blender and puree mixture until smooth.
6 Return to medium heat, add potatoes, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
7 Keep warm.
Ingredients for the BBQ Pork
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ sweet onion, sliced thin
½ granny smith apple, peeled, sliced thin
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup barbecue sauce
Directions for the BBQ Pork
1 Season pork with sea salt and course ground pepper.
2 Place a large sauté pan over high heat and add olive oil. Place pork in the pan and sear on all sides until golden brown.
3 Remove pork from pan, and add onions, apples and thyme; cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
4 Deglaze pan with chicken stock (scrape brown bits from bottom of pan). Add barbecue sauce.
5 Return pork to pan, reduce heat to low, cover with lid and let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until pork becomes very tender.
6 Remove pork from pan and shred with a fork; then return to pan and let simmer for 10 minutes.
7 Keep warm.
To serve, warm four pasta-style serving bowls in oven and remove. Divide corn chowder between bowls. Spoon about 3 ounces of cheddar grits in center of each bowl. Place 2 ounces of pulled pork in center of grits, and arrange two scallops over pork. Garnish with herbs; serve immediately.

Occasionally a writer comes along with a knack for putting into words aspects of the sporting experience that all hunters feel yet find difficult to describe or share with others. Gene Hill (1928-1997) was masterly in this regard. After growing up in New Jersey, graduating from Harvard, and working as an ad copywriter, he found his true métier as a sporting scribe. Occasional freelancing gave way to a full-time career in the profession and over the years he served as a columnist for several magazines.

Today he is best remembered for “Tail Feathers” in Sports Afield and “Hill Country” in Field & Stream. Although he wrote full-length features, Hill was unquestionably at his best when writing pithy columns. He took the simplest of subjects, such as an old hunting jacket or a session of winter armchair adventure beside a cheery fire, and handled them with wit, whimsy, and wisdom.

Chef Kipp Bourdeau
Pine Creek Sporting Club
Okeechobee, FL

Ingredients
4 fresh hog snapper fillets, skinned, pin bones removed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 fresh lemons, sliced thin
8 shallots, sliced thin
Sprigs of fresh dill (enough for 4 snappers)
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups fresh vegetables, steamed
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Using a large shallow baking dish, brush with 1 tablespoon of butter, arrange lemon slices, shallots, dill, and Old Bay seasoning in the dish.
3 Place the hog snappers over the aromatics in the dish and add white wine.
4 Dot fish with remaining butter, cover loosely with foil.
5 Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
To serve, arrange the steamed vegetables on a large plate. Arrange the fish over the vegetables. Drizzle the remaining cooking juices, which will be plenty flavorful, over the fish.