Roast Rat anyone.................!!

[silvergirl]

Before I start I'm not reccomending this and I haven't tried it.

But I thought It might be of interest. I have an excellent book written in 1917 , The wild foods of Great Britain. In it there are a list of two hundered and sixty different wild foods and recipies to go with them.

One of the suggestions is for roast rat.

The author suggests using young rats 4-6 weeks old, skining, gutting and stuffing with breadcrumbs mixed with its heart, liver and herbs. This is then quickly roasted in a hot oven. And it apparently tastes like snipe.

He also suggests using rat meat to make pies, (which I'm sure has been done before).

As it is such a prolific breeder in theroy you would never run out of food. I would be very wary of any rats that may have been exposed to poison though.

Any thoughts on this. Has anyone tried it, or would they?

 

[torjusg]

I wouldn't eat rat from close to human settlements. Too much toxins around. Unless you live away from other people and your settlement is fully organic, that is.

But I think I would eat lemmings, wood-mice, water-rats etc.. if I was in a pinch.

And, as you mentioned, if you capture and feed them for a while, they may become "edible".

Sounds like an exciting project if you are the adventurous kind.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[soup_monger]

I've read stories of people starving to death because they couldn't bring themselves to eat their dead companions or the rats that were feeding on them.
Which would you opt for?

 

[swyn]

Rat souffle!

 

[RovingArcher]

The rats, but human meat is supposed to taste like chicken. Actually, it is very close in flavor to pig and bear according to those in the know. I don't think that I could eat another human unless it was the only way of surviving a situation.

When taking rats or mice, keep in mind that plague is still active and usually carried by the fleas being carried by the vermin, so care should be taken when handling them prior to cooking. After killing, wait at least a half hour before handling. This is recommended by our Fish and Game biologists for other species like Bobcat, that also carry the fleas that may have plague. The 30 or so minutes allows the blood suckers to leave the cold body, as they only feed on the living.

The internal organs should be avoided, especially any organ that pumps or cleanses the blood. Use them to bait other rats/vermin to your traps.

The meat should be well cooked prior to eating and it isn't that bad. I've had the opportunity to eat a wide variety of critters in my life, rat being one of them and trust me, there are worse edible living things on this planet to put in your mouth.

 

[torjusg]

The internal organs should be avoided, especially any organ that pumps or cleanses the blood.

Why? Do they have poisonous blood like the eel?

Torjus Gaaren

 

[soup_monger]

Well, I reckon if you avoid the Leptospirosis and the Weil’s Disease long enough to fatten your companion up on Rat stew then there might be some good eating ahead.

 

[soup_monger]

I'm not quite sure why I've invented a "Companion" for this situation...Fatten yourself up and then eat your own arm...

 

[bambodoggy]

I've eaten rat in several places around the world...mainly in India and Nepal, I rather like it actually. A nice bit of rat meat can fetch a good price in some markets.

Very good advice on food prep and handling from RA and I also agree about having eaten far worse! lol I prefer rat meat to marzipan any day!

I'd certainly eat it again and wouldn't have to be even close to starving to do so...just hungry would do

We are funny us humans aren't we? I mean I'm guilty of it too but we say "hey, we like eating this meat....but we couldnt' eat that"!... it's all meat and all food at the end of the day.

Enjoy your dinner,

Bam.

 

[wolf]

ive eaten rat on escape and evasion in the army,then the paras ate me :yelrotflm

 

[Ketchup]

Maybe the book meant musk rat? It is considered a delicacy in this country.
It's in fact so good the government forbade to serve it in restaurants, three years ago.

 

[qweeg500]

Rat on a stick anyone (remember Jabberwocky?).
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14519594.000.html

 

[Porcupine]

odd,i didnt know the so called "waterrabbit" was taken from the menu.

more to the rat thing,most rats i see around here arent that big (and rather scrawny).

does the book suggest a number of rats per serving?



Porc

 

[soup_monger]

Nice one Porc!

 

[tedw]

Nothing to do with rats, but I thought human meat tastes like pork and that was why the maori called white men "long pig".

Or does everything taste like chicken?

Ted W

 

[Klenchblaize]

. I've had the opportunity to eat a wide variety of critters in my life, rat being one of them and trust me, there are worse edible living things on this planet to put in your mouth.

Over here that would most certainly be the much regretted midnight take-away kebab, having first consumed a minimum of 15 pints of ale!!

 

[george]

I've eaten forest rat on many occassions in the far east and enjoyed it.

I used to keep a cat at one forest base I lived at and he would catch all the rats we could eat!

Spatchcocked and grilled over an open fire with some chilli and soy sauce - tasted like brown turkey meat.

George

 

[silvergirl]

The book doesn't suggest number of rats per portion but it's deffinatly the common brown rat it is talking about.

The rats round here aren't as big as rabbits but there not tiny. I've heard rats in some cities are now as large as some breeds of dog. The book says to take them from the countryside and to be happy about what they have been eating although the authour eat one from the cellar of a pub in fleet street in london.

if it came to it i'd eat rat rather than starve but many other things would be further up my list.(perhaps not kebab). especially considering how vicious they can get when trapped.

 

[Ketchup]

especially considering how vicious they can get when trapped.

What? The kebabs?

 

[silvergirl]

yes :yelrotflm Try keeping down a donner kebab at midnight