Ingredients
Buttermilk Fried Squirrel:
(Obviously not everyone has squirrel meat in the larder, but this recipe works just fine with rabbit meat. Gee don’t tell me you don’t have that either…)
- 1-2 lbs of cleaned squirrel meat cut into strips (size of chicken strips)
- 2 litres of buttermilk
- Art’s secret seasoning blend- (mix of dried herbs thyme, basil, oregano & spices like celery salt, white pepper, paprika, mustard powder, ginger powder, garlic salt, black pepper & regular salt)
- I do not measure but I add at least 1 tsp of everything give or take
- 2 cups of flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- Oil or animal fat for frying
Fire Roasted Yam Potato Mash:
- 7 medium yams
- 7 medium potatoes
- 1 cup blanched nettles
- 1 T. salt for blanching
- ½ cup beurre noisette (brown butter)
- ¼ cup duck fat if you have it. If not, bacon grease or pork lard will work.
- 1 handful torn fresh dill
- ¼ cup natural yoghurt or sour cream (optional)
Instructions
Buttermilk Fried Squirrel:
- Soak squirrel strips in 1 litre of the buttermilk for 2 hours then drain and pat dry.
- Mix the flour with the seasoning mix & cornstarch in a bowl then place in large bowl or bag.
- Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Dip the meat strips in the flour/seasoning mixture until pieces are thoroughly coated.
- Place strips carefully into the oil being careful not to crowd the skillet.
- Place cooked pieces over paper towel to absorb excess fat the serve hot with Roasted Yam Potato Mash.
Fire Roasted Yam Potato Mash:
- Roast yams and spuds on hot coals of a fire that’s been burning for at least an hour. A BBQ will also work fine.
- In the meantime, blanch nettles in boiling salted water until they wilt in 30 to 50 seconds
- Remove nettles with slotted spoon and place immediately in container of ice cold water
- Squeeze liquid out of nettles
- Peel roasted root veggies and place in large sturdy bowl and mash lightly, then add 1 cup of the nettles and all remaining ingredients and mash until well mixed but not whipped. The texture and colour in this dish will look nicer if it’s not whipped into a pasty, pastel coloured swill.
