Fried Squirrel With Gravy (A good tale from Southern Foodways Alliance if you will never eat a squirrel.

From The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook, edited by Sara Roahen and John T. Edge.

I met John Edge a few days before this cookbook was released. I was in Fat Harry's, a local pub, middle of the afternoon and the popular location was not very crowded at the time. John Edge, (I had never met him before) walked in and immediately started a conversation with me and my friend. I quickly realized my friend was a long time friend of John's wife, who was due to have their first child any day. John talked fast, had a lot of interesting information, about the cookbook, about becoming a dad, and about all things concerning food. He was in the area promoting The Southern Foodways Alliance and the community cookbook. He needed to move along quickly to get back home to his nine month pregnant wife. I bought the cookbook first chance I got and enjoy the recipes and stories.

From the cookbook:

Sarah Thomas says she ate a lot of squirrels growing up. That the best and biggest squirrels come from French Creek, West Virginia, and that she learned this method from her mother.

2 squirrels

salt and pepper

1 cup all purpose flour

Oil for frying

about 1 cup Milk, mixed with equal amount of water

water as needed

Gut and skin the squirrels. Soak the squirrels in a pan of enough water to cover for one or two hours in the refrigerator. Drain.

Cut the squirrels into pieces, discard the heads. Cover the pieces with water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to simmer until the meat is tender but not falling off the bone. Drain.

Season the pieces with salt and pepper and roll in flour.

Heat the oil to shimmering in a cast iron skillet. Fry the pieces until golden brown on both sides. Drain the fried pieces on a paper towel or brown bag.

Leave about 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet, add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir constantly until golden colored. Add half milk and half water, a splash at a time, stirring briskly until the gravy is the consistency that you like. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the fried squirrel with the gravy, along with mashed potatoes, green beans, and homemade biscuits.

bon appetit