Have you tried squirrel stew? It's certainly something a little different, but it's lean, tasty and definitely sustainable.
The squirrel is cooked with smoked bacon and vegetables in a creamy cider sauce, so if you don't fancy squirrel, you can use rabbit, chicken or any game birds too.
Go on, step outside of your comfort zone!
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I have wonderful memories of my late dad, spending time together shooting and fishing, all the while eating sandwiches and scalding tea out of a flask.
Most of the time we came back empty handed, but when we didn't I was always happy to eat whatever we caught.
Squirrel, however, was never on the menu, but recently is has become more available. The grey squirrel is an invasive species and it is totally legal to control the numbers in a humane way. As the squirrels are wild, their meat is free range and the flavour of the meat reflects their diet.
I understand that squirrel stew is popular in the US, so I suppose it's whatever you are used to eating. Of course, if you really can't contemplate it, this dish would be perfect with chicken thighs or old pheasant birds.
❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Free range, sustainable and low fat.
- Mild tasting, like rabbit or chicken.
- A great conversation piece for entertaining!
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🥘 Ingredients
Notes on some of the ingredients.
- Juniper berries - found in the spice section. These go really well with game and chicken dishes and give a fragrant flavour to the dish. It's best to lightly bruise them before adding them and avoid eating them as they are bitter.
- Squirrel - oven ready squirrels are available from some butchers and also online.
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post.
🍽 Equipment
- large casserole dish with lid - preferably cast iron
- sharp knife
- frying pan
- tongs
- slotted spoon
🔪 Instructions
Finely chop the garlic and bruise the juniper berries.
It's easy to bruise them just by lightly crushing with the back of a knife.
Squirrels are normally sold whole, so it makes sense to joint them to make them easier to use.
Most of the meat is on the hind legs, but leaving in the rest of bones will help to make a delicious gravy.
Use a sharp knife to cut the body away from the back legs.
You can also use poultry shears if you have them.
Place the garlic and juniper in the casserole dish with the cider and squirrel joints, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
Chop the onions and celery and add to the frying pan with the bacon lardons.
Fry for about 5 minutes until softened.
There should be enough fat from the bacon to cook the vegetables.
Transfer to the casserole dish with a slotted spoon.
Remove the squirrel from the marinade and dry with paper towel.
Mix the salt and pepper with the flour and dredge the squirrel.
Add the oil to the frying pan, if necessary, over a medium to high heat and fry the squirrel until browned all over.
Transfer to the casserole dish.
Add any remaining flour to the pan and cook for a minute, scraping any residue from the bottom of the pan.
Pour in the marinade while stirring and bring to the boil for a few minutes before adding the stock and mustard.
⏲️ Cooking Time
Pour the boiling liquid over the squirrel, add the tarragon and stir to combine.
Cover and cook in the oven for one and a half hours or until tender.
Stir in the crème fraiche or cream and check the seasoning just before serving the squirrel stew.
🥗 Serve with
Simply serve with mash or some of these vegetable ideas.
- Honey Roast Chantenay Carrots
- Leeks in White Sauce
- Honey Roast Carrots and Parsnips
- Fried Cabbage with Bacon
- Roast Savoy Cabbage
- Whole Baked Cauliflower Cheese
- Roasted Green Beans and Carrots
- Roasted Long Stem Broccoli
- Roasted Swede Chips
- Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes
🥙 Substitutions
- Squirrel - use chicken thighs, pork shoulder steak or pheasant or other game bird.
- Crème fraiche - use some double or heavy cream, or even milk or you can leave it out altogether.
- Cider - use apple juice or extra stock.
🍣 Storage
- Refrigerator - cool, cover and store for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - pack in rigid containers and freeze for up to a month.
- Reheating - warm slowly on the hob or in the oven, although the sauce may separate if you are using cream.
🍱 Prepare in Advance
- Make the day before without adding any crème fraiche or cream. Reheat in the oven and add the crème fraiche.
More duck and game dishes
- Pheasant and Venison Casserole
- Slow Cooker Venison Shanks
- Roast Venison Haunch
- Venison Burgers with Bacon
- Venison Sausage Plait
- Game Terrine
- Roast Partridge
- Duck with Orange Sauce
- Pigeon Breast with Blackberry Sauce
- Duck Confit with Redcurrant Sauce
- Leftover Duck Soup
- Guinea Fowl with Chestnuts and Bacon
- Pheasant Breast with Wild Mushroom Sauce
📋 Recipe
Squirrel Stew with Cider
Equipment
- large casserole dish with lid
- Sharp knife
- Frying pan
- Tongs
- paper towel
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 4 squirrels oven ready
- 100 g smoked bacon lardons
- 1 onion
- 2 celery sticks
- 4 juniper berries
- 300 ml cider
- 300 ml chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon crème fraiche
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon tarragon dried
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoon flour
Instructions
- Finely chop the garlic and bruise the juniper berries.
- Cut the squirrels into joints to make them easier to brown.
- Place the garlic and juniper in the casserole dish with the cider and squirrel joints, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 160 C / 310 F / 140 FAN / Gas 2.5.
- Remove the squirrel from the marinade and dry with paper towel.
- Chop the onions and celery and add to the frying pan with the bacon lardons.
- Fry for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Transfer to the casserole dish with a slotted spoon.
- Mix the salt and pepper with the flour and dredge the squirrel.
- Add the oil to the frying pan if necessary over a medium to high heat and fry the squirrel until browned all over.
- Transfer to the casserole dish.
- Add any remaining flour to the pan and cook for a minute, scraping any residue from the bottom of the pan.
- Pour in the marinade while stirring and bring to the boil for a few minutes before adding the stock and mustard
- Pour the boiling liquid over the squirrel, add the tarragon and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook in the oven for one and a half hours or until tender.
- Stir in the crème fraiche or cream and check the seasoning just before serving.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article
Duck and Game Birds
- Coronation Pheasant Pie1 Hours 20 Minutes
- Pheasant Soup3 Hours 40 Minutes
- Roast Pigeon30 Minutes
- Spatchcock Duck2 Hours 15 Minutes
🍲Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Do you have a question or did you make the recipe?
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Amanda
Surprisingly tasty!