Maybe we'll have Squirrel. I'm not quite sure how many squirrel I will need for 20 people? This recipe is from White Trash Cooking, one of my fave cookbooks. Remember last year when I posted Dana Pullen's Chicken Feet and Rice? Another absolutely delish dish.
Bon Appetite!
Fried Squirrel
adapted from "White Trash Cooking" by Ernst Matthew Mickler
Make sure all the hair is cleaned off the squirrel. Cut it up. If it's old and tough, put it in the pressure cooker for about 15-20 minutes.
Salt and pepper it generously. Cover with flour and fry in a cast iron skillet on medium fire until brown and tender. This is a real sweet meat.
You can smother a squirrel (with gravy) just like a chicken.
Tips:
-Squirrel is one of the finest and tenderest of all wild meats. Its flavor is mild, rarely gamey. There is no need for soaking, and seldom any need for parboiling.
-Hunting squirrels is not legal in all states. Check your local laws before harvesting (hunter talk) a squirrel. Also confirm with local authorities- if a squirrel dies of old age, or is roadkill, is it legal to use as an ingredient for dinner?
Happy April 1st.
Hopefully, you won't encounter this guy while you are out hunting...
Fried Squirrel
adapted from "White Trash Cooking" by Ernst Matthew Mickler
Make sure all the hair is cleaned off the squirrel. Cut it up. If it's old and tough, put it in the pressure cooker for about 15-20 minutes.
Salt and pepper it generously. Cover with flour and fry in a cast iron skillet on medium fire until brown and tender. This is a real sweet meat.
You can smother a squirrel (with gravy) just like a chicken.
Tips:
-Squirrel is one of the finest and tenderest of all wild meats. Its flavor is mild, rarely gamey. There is no need for soaking, and seldom any need for parboiling.
-Hunting squirrels is not legal in all states. Check your local laws before harvesting (hunter talk) a squirrel. Also confirm with local authorities- if a squirrel dies of old age, or is roadkill, is it legal to use as an ingredient for dinner?
Happy April 1st.
I've always wanted to cook squirrel!
ReplyDeleteYou fooled me. I was wondering if you'd completely lost it! ;)
ReplyDeleteThis made my morning!!
ReplyDeleteI knew you were fooling...but the pictures made me and Laila laugh out loud
ReplyDeleteI didn't think you could top last year, but this was great!
ReplyDeleteI have some in my garden (eating it in the spring), Come on over. April Fool's!
ReplyDeleteJust bought this cookbook for a gift. The recipient about died laughing. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThough my son would probably actually eat squirrel!!! He won't eat chicken, beef or pork (except bacon), but he has eaten rabbit and beaver(and of course elk, fish and deer), and claims to like them all!
ReplyDeleteHappy April Fools.
Loved the pictures. My kids and I had a good laugh.
ReplyDeleteoh, haha. At first I thought, oh it's ajoke, but the further I read I was getting concerned! Haha
ReplyDeleteWhen I went through and completely creepily stalked your blog, I came across the chicken feet one.. I was like.. what.... really? you can eat those? I was in utter disgust I didn't know you would go that exotic. It scared me.
ReplyDeleteThen I finally realized the date.
:)
Happy 1st Si!
Why are you people shocked by this? Here in PA, many people shoot squirrels and make pot pies, stews, fried squirrel dumplings, or other dishes. It's true that they are very good tasting. The taste is mild, somewhat like a cross between chicken and clams, and if cooked right, can be an absolutely delicious, free, meal.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes it an April Fool? I'm frying a squirrel for dinner tonight. They're really quite good! Start by thinking chicken thighs, only make them very, very lean--almost no fat at all on a squirrel. Then add a gentle, woodsy, nutty kind of flavor. I feel a lot better about hunting squirrels than I do about any meat I buy in the grocery store.
ReplyDeleteI came upon this article whilst genuinely searching for a squirrel recipe. Very disappointed to see this used as an April Fool's joke. What a shame to see that such ignorance and narrow-mindedness among those who purport to be connoisseurs. I wasn't introduced to hunting until later in life, but since being exposed to numerous varieties of cuisine over the course of my life and finding much to appreciate and enjoy in every one of them, I didn't hesitate to try squirrel.
ReplyDeleteAs others have stated, squirrel is a delicious meat that can be used in so many ways. It's too bad that we've been conditioned to thumb our noses not only at our roots, but also at the safest and most nutritious meats (wild game) in favor of eating animals that have been raised inhumanely, laden with hormones and poisons, fed unnatural diets, etc. But what else would you expect from a government that OUTLAWED the sale of raw milk?
Interesting fact: did you know that squirrel is gaining much popularity in the UK?
Has no one noticed that the squirrel with the AT-4 has it backwards? Def wouldn't worry about meeting him/her when hunting squirrel. As with 7.62NATO, I was also looking for a legit recipe.
ReplyDelete