Three Sisters stew. The Three Sisters are corn, beans and squash, and they are the bedrock of Western Hemisphere agriculture, dating back thousands of years. This version combines them with grouse, another native, but you can use chicken, or really whatever meat you want.  

North African venison stew.. Big chunks of venison, stewed with potatoes, peas, olives and warming North African spices, and a little kick from harissa, a zippy chile paste you can find at your supermarket. 

Southern Fish Stew. This is a great camp stew that relies on whatever white fish you have, from crappies and bass to walleyes or snapper or sheepshead, plus bacon, hominy, black-eyes peas and some smoked sausage. It's a winner, and easy to make. 

Green chile stew. A New Mexico classic, with lots of Hatch or Anaheim chiles, potatoes and venison or pork or beef, plus, if you can get them, chicos, which are smoked, dried corn kernels common in New Mexico. The stew is perfectly fine without them, but they add an authentic flavor. 

Pheasant Stew. A classic rendition of French coq au vin, made with a rooster pheasant. Obviously a chicken will work, too, as will any sort of grouse, or partridges, quail or wild turkey. Lots of hearty vegetables and red wine make this stew. It easy to make and comes together nicely on a cold day. 

Perch Chowder. When you're ice fishing, yellow perch are, at least to me, the primo thing to catch. Firm, flaky and easy to clean, they make a great chowder. This recipe is an ode to Cleveland, where I once caught buckets of perch, and which has a big Polish community -- thus the kielbasa and potatoes in it.