Serving up Small Game

By Maureen Hammerquist

There’s nothing that rounds out a successful day in the woods quite like serving your game in a meal you’ve prepared yourself. Whether you’re cooking for just mom and dad or the whole family is coming over, you don’t need the culinary skills of Emeril, or even an extra trip to the grocery store to prepare a tasty dish. And with recipes that require minimal supervision in the kitchen, you can still take all the credit!

Make sure all meat is properly cleaned before cooking.

Small game such as squirrel and rabbit can be cooked in so many different ways: fried, stewed, grilled, slow-cooked and more. Pretty much any recipe that calls for chicken can be used, and the internet boasts tons of recipes and preparation techniques, accessible with just a simple keyword search.  Below are some easy-to-follow recipes that will have you discovering that cooking your favorite small game is deliciously rewarding.

TIPS

• Make sure all meat is thoroughly and properly cleaned. For some great advice on cleaning small game and more great recipes visit www.wildliferecipes.net.
• Since both animals are very lean, sometimes fat should be added to a recipe for extra flavor.
• Prepare and cook or freeze meat as soon as possible to prevent spoilage.
• Did you know that rabbit and has more protein and less fat than any meat? Because it has so little fat, cook rabbit over low heat so it doesn’t turn tough.
• Squirrel needs to be cooked longer than traditional meats; it takes longer for wild game meat to become tender.
• The part of the country the squirrel is from will affect its taste.
• Don’t be afraid to play a little bit with spices that you have on hand. Rabbit works well with spices like sage, basil, parsley and bay leaf and can be marinated in sugar, honey, red wine or herb-seasoned olive oil.

Slow cooked rabbit is perfectly tender with a delicious slightly-sweet taste. Goes great with any kind of noodles or rice.

CROCK POT RABBIT

Place rabbit pieces in crock pot. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and pour over meat. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. To thicken gravy, use either flour or cornstarch mixed with water. Cook on high until thickened. Serve over rice or side pasta.

Rabbit can be prepared in the same ways that traditional meats can…but it might need to be cooked a little longer.

Marinate rabbit in lemon juice for at least three hours in refrigerator. Melt butter in saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Grill rabbit 5 to 7 inches from coals being careful that fire is not too hot. Brush with butter mixture and grill 40-45 minutes, turning frequently until golden brown and tender.

Place squirrel pieces in a large pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Add 2 bay leaves and simmer for 1 1/4 hours, skimming occasionally. Add an additional 1-1/2 cups hot water and add onions, celery, carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook 15 minutes longer. Add dumplings. To make dumplings, mix dry ingredients and gradually stir in milk until blended. Place dough onto a floured board, roll to ½-inch thickness and cut into 3-inch squares. Place on top of the ingredients in the pot, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes. Makes four servings.

The creamy sauce is a delicious finish to this broccoli squirrel casserole.

BROCCOLI SQUIRREL CASSEROLE

This dish may require a few extra steps, but it’s worth it!

Boil squirrels in a large pot with water and a chicken bouillon cube until tender. (The meat should be just about falling off the bones) Set aside until cool and then remove meat from bones.

Microwave broccoli until it’s warm but not fully cooked, and steam carrots until tender. Butter the bottom of a lasagna-sized pan and layer with broccoli and place meat over top. Sprinkle onions across and then place a layer of sliced carrots. Sprinkle cheese over top and cover with crushed cracker crumbs (Ritz crackers work very well). Mix together well a sauce of light cream or milk with mayonnaise and lemon juice. Warm and pour over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling. Feeds 6-8 people.