Grey squirrel on the menu.....London restaurant

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C_Claycomb

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Squirrel fur makes really good trout flies! Sure, the tail hair is used for streamers, but the body fur dubs very well for a spiky/leggy, rough look, like hare's ear, but a little darker and rougher.

They are tasty, but you need to have got a bunch to make it worth while, they resist de-skinning way more than rabbits do.
 
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Insel Affen

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Aug 27, 2014
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I remember seeing a program on London Chefing a few years back when squirrel was put on menus but no-one was buying it.

Apparently they changed the name to 'Tree Chicken' people started to buy it by the bucket full.
 

Janne

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I remember seeing a program on London Chefing a few years back when squirrel was put on menus but no-one was buying it.

Apparently they changed the name to 'Tree Chicken' people started to buy it by the bucket full.
Townies.......
I read that they will start packaging Chicken breast ( bone free, skin free, taste free...) in special individual packs so the people cooking it will not have to touch it, as it is considered to be yucky .........

These people will take care of us when we get old. Think about it.
Swiss clinic, anybody?
:)
 
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Robson Valley

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Squirrel hind quarters with a good crumb coating and deep-fried? Maybe a fine curry?
I'd try that in a minute. You bet your sweet femurs! Not enough squirrels here and they are a very small species.

Gummy shark is really good. Rebadged as "Flake" in OZ.
 

C_Claycomb

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Not really, 20 seconds per squirrel - much quicker than I can skin a rabbit. But I totally agree about the trout flies; the variation in colour in the fur makes some interesting patterns.
Have you ever written down your method, or is it one that I can find on Youtube? I have been shown a couple of ways by long time hunters who swore their methods work, but they have not worked for me. Last time I had some to do I tried a technique shown on Youtube and that didn't work as shown either.

Either the techniques are no faster or less fiddly than what I use for rabbits, but at least I end up with fairly decent meat, or they wind up ripping the meat off the bone as it remains stuck to the hide and the result is a mangled mess.

Chris
 

Janne

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There is a small shark species around northern European coast, called Dogfish.
Delicious. Used to buy them for pint money in Hastings. They usually threw in a couple of Gurnards too.

I think I must have Chinese DNA. If it moves I like it!

When I harvested rabbit, I only took the rear third. Quick to skin too.
Not much meat on the front third. Big ones I also took the back muscle.
Secateurs work well.

So much nice, tasty, underappreciated meat out there!
 

Broch

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Have you ever written down your method, or is it one that I can find on Youtube? I have been shown a couple of ways by long time hunters who swore their methods work, but they have not worked for me. Last time I had some to do I tried a technique shown on Youtube and that didn't work as shown either.

Either the techniques are no faster or less fiddly than what I use for rabbits, but at least I end up with fairly decent meat, or they wind up ripping the meat off the bone as it remains stuck to the hide and the result is a mangled mess.

Chris

It's the way my Grandfather did it. Are you going to the winter moot? I hope to take some squirrel there and demo if anyone is interested.
The method I use works as long as the squirrel is fresh killed - I've not tried it days after (so, may have a problem at the Moot :) ).
 
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Woody girl

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I think Hugh f w did a recipe using squirrel and called it "up a tree pie" I don't know if he sold it in his restaurant but I wouldn't put it past him
That must be 10 yrs ago. Wonder if it will take off in restaurants nowadays. It never realy caught on then
Think I still have the recipe somewhere.
 
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Janne

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in Sweden, in the old days when there were gypsies, tinkerers and jews travelling freely around the country and do their thing, they used to take clay, wrap the animal ( hare, rabbit, red squirrel, hedgehogs, birds) in it and put in in the fire and cover with embers.

Easy and supposedly tasty. I have read they did not remove the insides but cooked it all.
 

Broch

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I have often added squirrel to my game pie. It depends who's around for dinner whether I tell them or not.
There used to be a butchers in Ludlow that sold squirrel - not sure if it still does though.
If you're a meat eater I recommend you try it. However, badly cooked it can be dry and tough.
 

Robson Valley

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Game animals of all sizes are usually close to fat free or the fat really tastes BAD.
Curry, deep fry. I'd roast them if I had bacon for a wrapping.

I learned to cook fish in clay in fire coals. Clay quality makes a big handling difference.
If you mark a groove around with a wet finger, the baked clay will pop open like a sandwich.
All the flavor and aroma of a freshly tilled garden. Thanks, Mom.
 

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