Camden New Journal - Food:Clare Latimer

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The Review - FOOD AND DRINK - Cooking with CLARE
Published:19th August 2009

Roast stuffed squirrel
Cooking squirrel this way I would check the age of the animal by checking the teeth. They should be white and gleeming. If you are squeamish, ask the person who has brought you the squirrels to skin and gut them and then you will be starting from the baseline that you know. Serve with fluffy mashed potato and purple sprouting broccoli perhaps.

Ingredients
Serves 2-4

2 small squirrels, oven ready
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 onion, peeled and chopped finely
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
15g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in water
2 tbsp white breadcrumbs
1 desp chopped hazelnuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small handful parsley, chopped finely
2 rashers streaky bacon

Method
Preheat the oven 180C/ 325F/gas 4. Soak the squirrel in water for one hour and drain. Rub over the oil and lemon juice and then place in a roasting tin and leave.
To make the stuffing soak the porcini mushrooms in a little water. Put the onion and garlic into a small frying pan with some olive oil and fry gently without browning for about three minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the breadcrumbs, hazelnuts and drained mushrooms and stir well. Finally, add the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Stuff the squirrels with the mixture and lay a rasher of bacon lengthways on top of each one. Roast in the oven uncovered for about 1 to 1½ hours, basting quite often to keep meat succulent. If drying out, cover for remaining time. Leave to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, make gravy from the bits in the bottom of the tin.

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