Squirrel pot pie

[Erik]

These are the main ingrediants. Add salt and pepper and 1 clove of garlic. I forgot to put them in the picture. Also there are way more peas and carrots in that bag than you will need. I think I only used half the bag. Give or take. I don't think it's to critical.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/540/potpieingrediants1S.jpg
I like to boil my squirrels. I put them in a pot with approximately 2qts of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. A dash of pepper, and one clove of garlic which I chop into quarters. I boil the squirrel whole for approximately 45minutes or until the meat is tender and falls off the bones very easily. Strip the meat from the bones and set aside. While the squirrel is cooking I chop up the potatos into small cubes. Then I add the potatos, peas, and carrots, and meat to the gravy and simmer in a suace pan until the vegies are tender. Stir frequently. While the filling is cooking I make the pie crust. Follow the directions on the carton, or you can use the premade ones. I really like the betty crocker sutff. It's easy to make and it's nice and flaky.
Next add the filling to the pie pans.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/540/piefilling1S.jpg
Cover the top and knotch some tiny holes in the top to let the steam vent.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/540/preoven1S.jpg
Bake at 400 for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is nice and golden brown.
Seriously this is good stuff. You may find yourself hunting squirrels more often once you try it. If you really want to put it over the top try making your own homemade gravy.
Bon appetite :)
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/540/finishedproduct1S.jpg

[ozzgood2001]

MMM looks killer!!

[Ed Michrina]

That looks great! thanx.

I'll bet that would work with venison also.

[outfishin_]

thanks i was looking for a new squirrel recipe....:)

[aquaticsanonymous]

Excellent recipe, thanks!

[WILDCATWICK]

I have yet to try squirrel. After your post Erik I'm interested in trying to take a couple. What does the taste of the meat closest resemble?

[Ed Michrina]

Good question. also do you find one squirrel to be better than another? we have black brown and slightly smaller gray squirrels where I'll be hunting

[loomisfun]

I can never tell the difference in taste between fox and gray or black squirrels. They taste a lot like rabbit to me. I think they taste better than rabbit though.

BTW--Those pot pies look great!!

Loomisfun

[Ed Michrina]

:D Thanx Loomisfun. All is fair game

[Erik]

I think squirrel is somewhat simular to the dark meat from a turkey.
Boiling them pretty much takes away any gamey flavor and the meat seems to blend well with most any poultry type cooking methods. About the only exception to that in my opinion is smoke cooking. Smoking squirrel for some reason gives it a wierd texture. Maybe I just didn't do it right.

I know we call them tree rats, but I think they are pretty clean animals. I believe they are members of the rodent family, but they don't dig through garbage or live in sewer systems, nor are they major carriers of deseases.
I have heard of people getting sick by eating the raw uncooked brains of squirrels. I guess thats a real delicousy in some parts of the country. Personally I think your asking to get sick if you eat stuff like that :)

Thanks for the compliments.

[Ed Michrina]

I like your signature:)

---I brake for animals.
---So theres more of them to hunt for

It's right up there with.

If God didn't want us to eat animals,
He wouldn't have made them taste like Meat!:evil:

[Carnivore]

Does anyone know if this would work using a Dutch Oven set on top of a wood burner at hunting camp? I would really like to try this while at camp this year.

[Erik]

The flacky crust might give you some problems. I can't say I've ever tried to make it that way.
Heres an idea though. I do this with leftover venison stew sometimes and I've even tried it with the squirrel stuff. I call it "homestyle" pot pie.
Put the stew in the bottom of a dish. In your case I guess that would be the bottom of the dutch oven. Then make some drop bisquits, recipe is on the side of a bisquik mix box it's real easy, and lay them over the top of the stew. Cook until the bisquits are done. In my regular oven that takes about ten minutes. I'm sure the dutch oven would take longer. Maybe someone else has some ideas on that. I've never cooked with a dutch oven so I don't know alot about them. I'm sure it would work though.
Anyway hope you have a great time at hunting camp!

[caesar2]

if possible put some of the coals on top of the dutch oven as well, we do this with fruit filling while camping.

[Bachflock]

Anyone tried this one? How'd it turn out?

[MERGANZER]

The best recipe I have seen for rodent er squirrel is either not hunting for them or mising them when you shoot:lol: Nasty tree rats gross

Ganzer

[fasthunter]

I usually don't care for squirrel to much unless it's cooked right. In a good recipe they are quite tasty though. I'm going to save this one in the favorites. I'll give it a shot this fall. Sounds pretty good.:corkysm55 :)

[Cut Bait]

My wife made this recipe last Sunday. I just finished the left overs. It is very good.

[LivoniaDan]

Do you make the gravy out of the squirrel broth or is that too gamy?

[Hondaxr]

The only time I have eaten squirrel it was prepared by a friend. It was awefull! Somehow he missed a ton of fur! So, I shot a few squirrels this year and, knew I could do a better job cleaning them. Well I did. I removed every strand of hair. However, is there an easier way to prepare this animal for the table other than, spending a 1/2 hour plucking fur from under the faucet.

[fasthunter]

The only time I have eaten squirrel it was prepared by a friend. It was awefull! Somehow he missed a ton of fur! So, I shot a few squirrels this year and, knew I could do a better job cleaning them. Well I did. I removed every strand of hair. However, is there an easier way to prepare this animal for the table other than, spending a 1/2 hour plucking fur from under the faucet.
I had that problem too and I experimented when I made my squirrel gumbo a couple weeks ago. I took the two halfs of the squirrel and I parboiled it for an hour and a half. There was still hair stuck on it. I did find out that after I parboiled it for some reason I could take the squirrel and rub it under the faucet with my thumbs and the hair came off of it VERY easy that way. Then when all of the stuck hair was off I picked every last piece of meat off of the whole squirrel. (Found out there's more meat than what's on the quarters and back.;)) Everything was tender and pulled right off. Then I put it in the squirrel gumbo recipe.:)

[Erik]

Do you make the gravy out of the squirrel broth or is that too gamy?


Actually I used store bought turkey gravy for the recipe above. But you can experiment with making homemade gravy. I've never used the squirrel broth but I have made a gravy or rather a type of sauce using milk, butter, flour, and a bit of salt and pepper. And it turned out pretty good.

[Bachflock]

I had forgotten about this recipe but made something similar this fall. I can say that the gamy flavor of the broth made it unpalatable for me. I wouldn't, however, compare it to rabbit. Rabbit is much milder to me. Improvising a good turkey, or even chicken, broth to make the gravy would have taken my dish up a LOT!

[lpgreg]

I make at least 1 hare pie a year, I have never made it with gravy but use 1-2 cans of cream of chicken. If you try this I think you,ll like it. I was also given the original recipe of 1 can of C.O.Chicken. and 1 can of Cream of Celery.

[DocHoliday]

Thanks Erik
I've got a bag of black squirrels that we took in Roscommon. I'll try your recipe. Has anyone ever heard of anybody eating fried squirrel brains? I heard about this in Southern IL. quite a few years ago and just wondering if anyone else has.

[jmoncz]

Next time you go to boil your squirrel and also your rabbit, try using a couple of cans of chicken or beef broth instead of just water. You'll thank me later.....................

jmoncz(deerslayer)

[deLabé]

I did this one up tonight with 3 squirrels from opening day that I'd had in the freezer. I am enjoying the pleasant feeling after a very good meal. I also got my whole family to eat squirrel for the first time, though with my daughter it was pulling teeth. My wife ate squirrel for the first time and said it was good but also said I could give a bunch to my parents :dizzy:, something I did with half an apple pie last night. The pie crust was the clincher to get everyone to try the squirrel.

Nice recipe.