A squirrel lives for six to seven years, whereas a cottontail lives for only one. The texture of squirrel meat is denser, the color grayer, and the flavor more complex because of this. Squirrels are wanderers, sometimes ground dwelling and social, living in well-developed colonies; or sometimes tree dwelling and solitary. Squirrels persevere, hoard, and make dietary sacrifices to survive. Maybe the early pioneers saw a bit of themselves in squirrels. Or maybe these animals just tasted better. Either way, this meat has somehow never reached our elite dinner tables. It has never gained favor with the palates of kings abroad, the way it has here among certain Americans.
I think I have crossed over and become one of those Americans. It is true I have spent evenings sipping nouveau martinis, but as I sit and close my eyes, I recall the sound of lips smacking, and remember my dabbing with crusty bread at the rosemary vapors of squirrel putach, that night one year ago in the Village. I can hear the rumble of distant thunder past the lake, and smell the whiskey steaming from the ice, and recall the sight of men tapping tenderly on the pearl notes of a five-string, clenching their teeth and grimacing into their music making. Yes, I have crossed over.
Squirrel Brunswick Stew with Acorns
Serves 8 to 10
Young squirrel is good simply quartered and fried. Old squirrel is good stewed. When in doubt, it is safest to braise or stew a squirrel. Sometimes, for flavor and for whimsy, I like to add acorns to this recipe. Native Americans used to eat acorns, usually by grinding them and then boiling them. They are sometimes bitter because of their tannins, but this can be improved by grinding them and running them under cold water. Acorns from the white oak, the chestnut oak, the swamp white oak, and the Garry oak are all ideal.
4 squirrels, cleaned and quartered, plus rib cage and loin
1 lemon, cut in half
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cayenne
Sea salt
3 strips bacon, diced
1 medium-size onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves
1 cup beer
3 cups crushed tomatoes
2 cups red potatoes, skin on, which have been cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups okra that has been cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup canned chickpeas
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup shelled and minced acorns
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
1. Place the squirrel parts in a pot and cover with water. Add the lemon halves, rosemary, bay leaf, cayenne, and about a tablespoon of sea salt and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the meat is tender, about 1 hour, skimming the foam from the surface as it forms. Once the meat is tender, turn off the heat and let the liquid cool.
2. In a separate pot, render the bacon. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Deglaze the pot with the beer, scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the pot with a spatula. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, okra, chickpeas, corn, and acorns and stir.
3. Add 2 cups of the squirrel cooking liquid and stir in. Add the squirrel and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. With this stew, as with most, it is best to let it sit for several hours before serving.
Also try: rabbit, dove, turkey, upland game birds
Squirrel Dumplings
Serves 6
These dumplings are vaguely like dim sum. They have a very tender texture and are versatile—they can be flavored with your other favorite herbs and used with any meat. They are good alone with a dipping sauce or also nice on the same plate as a Brunswick stew or other tomato sauce. They also reheat well for several days afterward.
1 squirrel, whole or cut into portions
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1. Place the squirrel in a pot and cover with water. Add the bay leaf, cayenne, and the tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the meat is tender, about 1 hour, skimming the foam from the surface as it forms. Once tender, turn off the heat, transfer the squirrel to a plate, and let the liquid cool.
2. In a medium-size bowl, beat the egg. Whisk in the flour, parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the garlic powder. Whisk in 3/4 cup of the squirrel cooking broth until well incorporated, then stir in the squirrel.
3. Bring the squirrel poaching liquid to a simmer. Take walnut-size spoonfuls of the squirrel mixture and drop them into the simmering water. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, turning every so often. Remove with a slotted spoon or drain them in a colander, and place in a serving bowl. Serve with a dipping sauce, in a tomato sauce, or with a stew.
Also try: any other meat you please
Traditional Squirrel Putach
Serves 4 to 6
Unlike Dove Putach (page 38), which is my more elaborate version, this is a true putach in all of its simplicity, as taught to me by one of the experts in the Village. The secret is the vinegar, which can be increased or decreased to your tastes. Remember that the putach cooks down over several hours, so it is good to be generous with the vinegar in the beginning.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
Salt
6 squirrels, quartered, plus rib cage and loin
5 garlic cloves, skin on
Freshly ground black pepper
A mixture of 2 parts white wine vinegar and 1 part water (I start with 2/3 cup of vinegar to 1/3 cup of water)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil and add the onion. Season with salt. Sweat the onion slowly over low heat until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the squirrel and garlic cloves, and brown slowly for about 10 minutes. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Add the vinegar mixture as well as the rosemary. Cover with tinfoil and cook slowly over low heat for about 2 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone. Add more salt and pepper to taste and serve with crusty bread or rice.
Also try: rabbit, dove, turkey, upland game birds
Buttermilk Fried Rabbit
Serves 4
Introduced in France in the Middle Ages as a game animal, rabbit became pervasive and overtook crops, providing more incentive to hunt them. King Louis XVIII became such a connoisseur of rabbit that he could tell which region of the country a rabbit was killed in, simply by smelling its flesh. You are what you eat, after all, and Provence was flush with sage. Young rabbits are best fried, because they are so tender. The best way to check a rabbit’s age is to tear one of its ears lengthwise; if it tears easily, the animal is young. Also look for very white teeth. Before cooking a rabbit or a squirrel, I also typically soak it in saltwater for several hours, if not overnight. This helps extract impurities and retain its moisture during cooking.
1 young cottontail rabbit, cut into serving pieces
2 cups buttermilk
1 medium-size onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon, or 1 teaspoon each of your three favorite dried herbs
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper
2 to 3 cups grape seed or vegetable oil
1. Soak the rabbit overnight in the buttermilk, along with the onion, garlic, herbs, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne.
2. Drain in a colander, leaving some herbs on the rabbit. In a large resealable plastic bag or in a large bowl, mix the flour with the garlic and onion powder and remaining 2 te
aspoons of cayenne, as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until a pinch of flour starts to sizzle when dropped in the hot oil, but not so hot as for the oil to be smoking.
3. Place the rabbit pieces in the bag with the flour mixture and shake until thoroughly coated. Do this in small batches, dredging just enough rabbit to fit in the pan at one time.
4. Add the rabbit to the skillet and fry on one side for about 10 minutes, until golden brown, then use tongs to turn the pieces over and fry for another 10 minutes, again until golden brown. Be careful to keep the oil hot enough to fry the rabbit, but not so hot that it burns.
5. Remove the rabbit from the skillet and place it on a wire rack over paper towels. Season immediately with salt and pepper to taste, to help preserve the crispiness for the table. This is good served immediately or also good cold for lunch the next day.
Also try: squirrel, dove, turkey, upland game birds, or any other young game meat
Jugged Hare
Serves 6 to 8
Then there is the hare, not to be confused with the rabbit. Red fleshed like venison, not white fleshed like rabbit, hare live longer, run faster, and have sharper wits. In the days of the Roman Empire, hare meat was believed to preserve beauty, while its blood possessed medicinal qualities. Hare are mostly known in America as jackrabbit, or in some cases snowshoe hare. Because they are older and can run as fast as 45 miles per hour, this means that their meat is flavorful but also tough, and needs to be cooked slowly for a long time. Jugged hare is an ancient dish in which a whole hare was typically marinated and cooked in red wine and juniper berries in a tall jug that stands in a pan of water. It was traditionally served with the hare’s blood, which thickened the sauce. The liver can also be seared and pureed with a bit of cream to thicken the sauce, and should definitely be saved from any hare you hunt, if possible. Make sure the liver is healthy looking, and free of any white spots. And of course, if hare blood and liver are not at your fingertips, this recipe works well without them.
To Marinate: 1/4 cup brandy
1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 large onion
2 cups button or other mushrooms
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
8 juniper berries
4 garlic cloves
1 hare, 2 swamp rabbits, or 3 cottontail rabbits, cut into serving pieces
To Stew: 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter or lard
6 to 8 strips bacon or pancetta, diced
Salt and black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
2 cups pearl onions, soaked in warm water, then peeled
1/2 cup dried mushrooms (e.g., porcini or chanterelle), soaked in brandy until re-
constituted (optional)
1/4 cup port wine
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
2 cups game bird stock (page 212) or turkey stock (page 214)
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1/2 teaspoon chili paste
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
To Marinate: 1. Bring the brandy and wine to a boil for 3 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Turn off the heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, combine the carrot, celery, onion, and mushrooms in a food processor and blend until minced. You may have to do it in batches to get an even blend.
3. Add the minced vegetables, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, juniper berries, and garlic to the wine while it cools.
4. Trim the hare parts of any excess tissue or hair and place in a nonreactive bowl. Pour the liquid over the hare once it comes to room temperature, and cover. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
To Stew: 1. Remove the hare from the marinade and set aside on a plate. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepot. Reserve the marinade ingredients and bring the liquid to a simmer. A foam raft will form as the liquid bubbles. Skim this off with a ladle and let it continue to bubble until the foam no longer forms and the liquid is fully clarified. Turn off the heat and let the liquid sit.
2. Heat two separate skillets or large sauté pans on the stove top. Place 4 tablespoons of the butter in one and heat until it begins to bubble. Place the bacon in the other and let it render slowly. As the butter bubbles in the first sauté pan, sprinkle the hare parts with salt, pepper, and flour and place them in the skillet. You may need to do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan, and you can add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter as you brown the hare and the pan dries out. Brown the parts on both sides and transfer them to a clean plate once they are well browned. Leave the skillet on the stove top and turn off the heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 300°F. As the bacon renders in the second skillet, add the pearl onions and let them brown. Once the bacon is crispy and the onions well browned, add the minced vegetable mixture from the marinade. Sauté the vegetables and let them cook and render their juices. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
4. Place the rabbit parts back into their skillet and add the vegetables, bacon, and pearl onions from the other skillet so they are distributed evenly. Add the mushrooms here, if using, along with the port, cloves, nutmeg, ground pepper, and ginger. Pour in the clarified marinade and add additional stock as necessary until the liquid comes almost to the top of the meat. Cover with tinfoil and place in the oven. Braise for 2 to 3 hours for a hare or slightly less for rabbit, until the meat falls off the bone.
5. You have the option now, once the meat cools slightly, to pick the meat off of the bones and return it to the pan. This is ideal for the texture and final eating experience and doesn’t take much effort, but you can skip it if you are short on time. Either way, finish this dish by stirring in the crème fraîche, chili paste, and parsley, and serve.
Also try: duck legs, pheasant legs, squirrel
Braised Rabbit with Olives and Preserved Lemon
Serves 4
This rabbit dish is light and tangy, with a hint of Provence and the Mediterranean. The preserved lemon needs to be made in advance, but can be skipped in a pinch and replaced with blanched lemon zest, or it can be purchased at a specialty spice store. When butchering your own rabbit or hare, whether wild or domestic, be sure to wear gloves. One in a million carries the tularemia virus, which you should avoid direct contact with.
1 whole rabbit, cut into serving pieces
1/2 large onion, cut into chunks
1 medium-size carrot, cut in half lengthwise and then into 1-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bouquet garni (see Note)
1/2 (750 ml) bottle white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cups game bird stock (page 212) or turkey stock (page 214)
Zest of 1/2 preserved lemon (page 236), well rinsed and julienned
1/4 cup Niçoise, kalamata, or mixed olives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
To Marinate: 1. Combine the first seven ingredients in a bowl and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
To Braise: 1. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil and butter. Remove the meat from the wine, pat dry, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and flour.
2. Place the rabbit legs and loins in the skillet and cook until well browned. Turn over and brown the other side. Transfer from the pan to a clean plate.
3. A
dd the vegetables from the marinade to the pan, and lightly caramelize in the same fat. Sprinkle with flour, stir, and cook for a few minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes more. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and reserved marinade, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, and reduce the liquid until the sauce is thick.
4. Return the meat to the skillet. Add the stock and bouquet garni, cover, and let simmer for about 1 hour, or until the meat is tender. Turn off the heat and add the preserved lemon, olives, and chopped herbs. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Also try: squirrel, turkey, upland game birds
Note: To make a bouquet garni, tie in a piece of cheesecloth: 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of fresh thyme, 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, and 1 small bunch of fresh parsley with stems.
We arose over ten thousand centuries ago from hunters who loped, with weapons in hand and animal flesh on their minds, across the yellow plains, and it may be every bit as long before the need to hunt is in any way quenched within us. When, and if, it ever is, it will probably mean that for better or worse we are no longer human but have become something quite different.
—THOMAS MCINTYRE
Epilogue
To me, the great mystery of the human species is how we got to where we are—how we came out of the trees, stood on just two feet, and ended up on the trading floors of Lehman Brothers—how we got “so smart.”
Girl Hunter Page 20