Michael Waddell’s Fried Wild Turkey Nuggets

Few people are better suited to offer up wild turkey cooking tips than legendary hunter Michael Waddell.  In this Prime Cuts episode, host and fellow outdoor fanatic David Bancroft joins Waddell to cook up one of the Bone Collector’s favorite timber-to-table dishes: fried wild turkey nuggets. 

Waddell and Bancroft make a terrific pair as they discuss where he sourced the bird – from Waddell’s own farm, by his wife – before walking us through Waddell’s current favorite way to ready the wild turkey nuggets. Previously, he was a fan of the buttermilk brine, but lately he’s loving a brine of pickle and jalapeño juice. Waddell explains to Bancroft that he prefers to cut across the grain on a turkey breast. Despite longer cook times, he chops it into larger chunks for a better bite all-around.

A Waddell pro-tip: Tap off the excess flour before putting those wild turkey nuggets into the oil.

Bancroft walks Waddell through his two favorite dipping sauce recipes; a “his” and “hers,” as he says. The award-winning chef tells us his wife loves honey mustard, but isn’t too big on the spices. He makes two different sauces every time just so he can appease both palates.

A Bancroft pro-tip: Add a ranch flavoring packet to your flour fry next time you batter your wild turkey nuggets.

After they taste their creation, Waddell’s ready to turn Emeril Lagassee on to wild turkey nuggets. Bancroft is sure they’re “better than that restaurant that doesn’t serve chicken on Sunday’s.”

Finally, Bancroft walks us through how he sous vides his turkey breast for a truly moist and delicious cut of meat. Wild turkey tends to tense up and dry out. Cooking it sous vide allows it to retain its moisture and keeps the muscle from pulling as you cut.

Follow Waddell’s recipe to fry up a bird your backyard guests will go wild over!