Tuesday, February 2, 2010

I like Groundhog Pie!

Groundhog's Day is upon us and Punxsutawney Phil, that rascal, has seen his shadow and therefor sentenced us to another 6 weeks of winter. I'm ready for spring... but if I can't have it... then a little warm groundhog pie in my belly might just do the trick. I never knew that the little varmits were tasty... but apparently due to their vegetarian diet they are "eminently edible and delicious" to quote the author of the Mother Earth News article where I got this recipe.

Woodchuck Pie

1 woodchuck
3 medium carrots
3 potatoes
1/4 cup of butter or margarine
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons of flour piecrust dough

Quarter the woodchuck and place the pieces in a large pot with enough cold water to cover the meat. Boil it for 10 minutes, then discard the water, refill the pan, and bring the liquid to a boil again. Lower the heat and let the contents simmer for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Add the carrots and potatoes and continue cooking the stew for about another 30 minutes ... until the meat is tender and separates easily from the bone. By this time, you should be able to pierce the vegetables readily with a fork.

Now, strain the liquid and reserve 2 cups. The remaining pot liquor can be saved for soup stock, or discarded.

Next, remove the cooked meat from the bones and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Melt the butter or margarine in a large, heavy skillet, add the diced onion, and cook it for 5 minutes. Then add the flour and stir the mixture until it bubbles ... put in the reserved liquid and blend the brew some more until it thickens . . . and, when that happens, combine the vegetables and meat, mixing the whole concoction thoroughly.

Finally, butter a large casserole and pour in the meat-and-vegetable mixture. Lay piecrust dough over the top of the filling, brush the pastry with milk, and place the container in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for about 30 minutes, or until the crust has turned golden brown.

To read the whole article http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1984-01-01/Happy-Groundhog-Day.aspx

2 comments:

  1. well, that recipe would work for any varmint i reckon..... wonder how squirrel would taste

    ReplyDelete

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