I need a Squirrel recipe!!

[Cooper90]

I am overun with Squizza's and have never eaten one (i have eaten near enough everything else) before i start culling them has anyone got a good recipe for them, i have never prepared one myself if you could reccomend something for me?
Ta!

Coops

 

[Klenchblaize]

As posted in 2006:

"Now the woods are looking a tad more autumn-like its time to revisit my passion for hunting “old flicker tail” with a rifle. The grey squirrel also happens to comprise the main ingredient in my favorite belly-warming campfire recipe. That’s right, Klencher's interpretation of the famous Brunswick Stew dish from the US. A meal just perfect for one-pot cooking and bound to keep you in the woods longer than SWMBO would like.

Here is how I do it and the ingredients used. Clearly a little advance preparation, in terms of certain vegetables etc. is required - including remembering to stuff them into your backpack before setting off!

First shoot or trap 2 or 3 squirrels depending on your appetite. I could eat the meat from 4 on a really crisp day but I’m that kind of guy! Clearly you can substitute one or all for rabbit but such is the delicate flavour of squirrel (it certainly does NOT taste of rabbit), this would be a pity.

Other stuff:

2 chopped onions
2 chopped celery sticks
2 cloves of garlic
Tomatoes – either tinned or fresh
Butter beans or pulses of your choosing – a mixture being best for texture
Salt
Black Pepper
Worcestershire Sauce
Lard or olive oil

First get some water on the boil whilst gutting and skinning each squirrel.

Now remove meat from bones with that grossly over-priced Ray Mears knife bought on e-bay recently! Don’t try for every last shred as it’s simply not worth the effort and anyway the carcases, chopped into three or more pieces, are popped into the boiling water for that all-important base stock.

Whilst the boiling water is getting to work on the bones, heat the lard in a skillet and brown all meat including the tiny kidneys and liver. If you have a rabbit you might also wish to use the offal from this too. (Note: Discard any that are spotted or simply look unhealthy.)

Set aside meat and wilt onions until these too have a nice brown glaze.

Check that your simmering carcases have started to cloud the water, which should take no more than 15 minutes. Then throw everything into your pot, stir vigorously and season as you wish adding water to ensure full coverage and simmer for at least 1.5hrs. Check regularly on rate of reduction and top up with water only if necessary and, of course, in determining your preferred viscosity! Do not overdo the Worcestershire Sauce as already stated squirrel, whilst not always tender, has a very unique and subtle flavour.

The hardest part of this exercise, in my opinion, is tending the fire to ensure correct cooking. See elsewhere for guidance on how to make an adjustable cooking pot support which is invaluable.

The perfect accompaniment to this warming dish would be a couple of bannocks but anything that’ll mop-up the juice will do.

Happy simmering!"

Cheers

__________________

 

[JustJoel]

It's pretty straight forward as I remember it:

1. Clean and skin.
2. Quarter
3. Soak in saltwater until they turn white (refrig )
4. Pan fry with some shortening
4a. Pull from bones if you want to, eat like chicken if not
5. Use grease and make gravy, season to taste
6. Serve over biscuits.

It's been a good while since I was allowed to cook them at home but I think this was it. (looks right anyway)

Not 5 star but as I recall it, very very good on a cold day.

Joel

 

[tenderfoot]

Just follow any chicken or rabbit recipe. nice in a red wine based casserole etc.... best to fry /brown /Sear first your meat pieces at high heat beforehand if going for a slow cooking method.(kills any nasties)

 

[Longstrider]

Just take the back legs off and roll them in some beaten egg, then Paxo breadcrumbs. Deep fry them as you would chicken drumsticks and eat as the same Yum.

If the cull goes really well you might want to think about saving the tails, especially at this time of the year when they are full and thick with Winter coats. Save enough of them you can re-coup ammo expenses and then some from fly-tying materials suppliers who dye them and sell them on That's how I paid for my first good quality 'scope may years ago. £178 worth of 'scope paid for entirely by tree-rat tails at 18 pence a piece
A good days squirrelling with a good .22 air rifle in a good piece of woodland is one of the best days shooting you'll ever have IMHO.

 

[Hoodoo]

It's pretty straight forward as I remember it:

1. Clean and skin.
2. Quarter
3. Soak in saltwater until they turn white (refrig )
4. Pan fry with some shortening
4a. Pull from bones if you want to, eat like chicken if not
5. Use grease and make gravy, season to taste
6. Serve over biscuits.

It's been a good while since I was allowed to cook them at home but I think this was it. (looks right anyway)

Not 5 star but as I recall it, very very good on a cold day.

Joel

I would have to rate it as 5 star. I always dredge the parts in flour before browning. After browning, I add plenty of water to the skillet, cover and cook for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the age of the squirrel.

Squirrel gravy cannot be beaten imo.

 

[mikeb]

just make a curry out of them, you cant go wrong, i turn any new meat in to a madras, and balti for the kids thats how they first try'd rabbit and squirrel, then i tell them after and they'r ok then

 

[Bardster]

Squirrel Stew, Georgia Style
2 squirrels, cleaned, cut into 6 pieces each
2 c bouillon
Leafy tops of 2 stalks of celery
1/8 lb salt pork, 1/2" cubes
2 c fresh lima beans
2 tbs flour
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled
1 tsp salt
1 c fresh corn kernels
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1-2 tbs flour

Fry salt pork until very crisp, then remove pieces from the pan. Dredge squirrel in seasoned flour and
sauté in hog fat until brown on all sides. When nearly brown, add onions and cook until soft. Place meat
in Dutch oven, together with broth and celery tops. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove celery
tops, add lima beans, tomatoes, corn and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and bake until vegetables are
tender-about 30 min. Skim off excess fat and thicken gravy with flour and 1/2 c cold water. Serve hot
topped with crisp pork cracklings.