As my very first post i shall share with you one of my mnay grey squirrel recipes.

This one is particularly autumnal and one i cooked today following a good foray over the weekend where we picked several Sparsissus crispa (cauliflower fungus). Today i shot the squirrel.

ingredients.

1x squirrel jointed, two legs and saddle with belly flap intact.
Part one. The Cure?
firstly mix maldon sea salt and sugar in a ratio of two too one. Add a few crushed juniper berries pepper and crushed fresh thyme. Rub this all over the legs almost covering. Now place in fridge for 24 hours.
2. rinse off the legs of salt and place in a pan and cover with goose fat. Cook gently for 1.5 hours until giving. Remove and place in an earthen ware bowl pour over remaining fat cool and refridgerate untill needed.

Part 2. Mounting the saddle..

pigeon & squirrel liver mousse

This simple but delicious mousse will be inside the saddle wrapped around with the belly flaps before being wrapped in rashers of very thin oak smoked (home cured and smoked organic bacon) and roasted.

10 pigeon livers + hearts
5 squirrel livers + heart & kidneys
1 shallot
2oz butter
2 egg yolks
splash madeira
white wine
1 saute shallot throw in livers etc, flame with madeira, then wine add yolks, season then blend.
Now stuff the saddle and wrap with belly flaps and bacon. set aside.

Putting the dish together.

Saute off a good portion of cauliflower fungus in butter, season with salt ans pepper and lots of parsley.

Place a mound in middle of large plate.
roast saddle in hot oven for 10-15 mins remove and rest before carving

Wipe fatt off legs of squirrel and fry over high heat to warm through and give good colour.

Place legs on mushrooms

Now carve the saddle into one inch pieces showing off filling. bordr the plate with these pieces.

Finally for the sauce.

Use a reduction of veal stock with masala and cream until thickened. season abd add squeeze lemon juice. Mask squirrel.

Tuck in, i know it is complecated but it will be illustrated properly in my wild food cook book (from a chef point of view) next near

Andrew Sartain

This post was last modified: 24-09-2007 08:48 PM by gourmetfungi.

Looking forward to the book . This sounds quite tasty. What kind of pigeons are to be used?

Kingfisher

Looking forward to the book . This sounds quite tasty. What kind of pigeons are to be used?

Kingfisher

Wood pigeons only. none of that ferile stuff.

Oooh call me a coward but I don't think that I could actually shoot my squirrels But if I lived in the wild hills or something I might have to. I prefer to buy mine boil in the bag or roadkill (if it isn't too flat)!!
Seriously good luck with the book!

This post was last modified: 25-09-2007 07:12 AM by tibbar.

Oooh call me a coward but I don't think that I could actually shoot my squirrels But if I lived in the wild hills or something I might have to.

I dunno tibbar--you've got to think fast when a herd of squirrels is thundering toward you at 3 mph! Shootin's too good fer them varmits, I tell ya!



Kingfisher