Tell me how to make simple fried rabbit and squirrel.

[nsl]

I've got a rabbit I need to cook.
I've found recipies on the web for fried rabbit that include browning in 1/4 "oil at 325 or so for about 12 minutes per side, then cooking covered at low heat for like 40 minutes.
Now, wouldn't this make the meat oily as hell?
Anyway, just looking for a good old country/hillbilly fried rabbit and squirrel recipie.

[NoSecondBest]

Originally Posted by nsl

I've got a rabbit I need to cook.
I've found recipies on the web for fried rabbit that include browning in 1/4 "oil at 325 or so for about 12 minutes per side, then cooking covered at low heat for like 40 minutes.
Now, wouldn't this make the meat oily as hell?
Anyway, just looking for a good old country/hillbilly fried rabbit and squirrel recipie.

Dip it in flour and brown it in a skillet. After browning it, cover it in water and let it cook on low for about an hour. It's not at all oily and the rich brown gravy is delicious. Works well for squirrel also. The longer you cook it the better. The meat will just fall off the bone and is very tender.

[nsl]

Originally Posted by NoSecondBest

Dip it in flour and brown it in a skillet. After browning it, cover it in water and let it cook on low for about an hour. It's not at all oily and the rich brown gravy is delicious. Works well for squirrel also. The longer you cook it the better. The meat will just fall off the bone and is very tender.

Do you leave the oil in as you add water? I guess you add enough water to cover the meat? Also, do you put a lid on the pan?

[NoSecondBest]

Originally Posted by nsl

Do you leave the oil in as you add water? I guess you add enough water to cover the meat? Also, do you put a lid on the pan?

Leave the oil in and yes, cover the meat. Don't try to deep fry it. Use enough oil to just brown the flour and sear the meat a little. The only reason you fry it at all is to get the flour to absorb the juice and brown up so the gravy is nice and brown. My family has been using this recipe for over a hundred years....from a very rural area and that kind of meat was on the table a lot.

[nsl]

Originally Posted by NoSecondBest

Leave the oil in and yes, cover the meat. Don't try to deep fry it. Use enough oil to just brown the flour and sear the meat a little. The only reason you fry it at all is to get the flour to absorb the juice and brown up so the gravy is nice and brown. My family has been using this recipe for over a hundred years....from a very rural area and that kind of meat was on the table a lot.

So I guess I would just use a few tablespoons of oil instead of 1/4"?

[sethpa]

Yup, just enough oil to keep it from sticking. Turn frequently till it's browned to keep it from burning. Use a lid when simmering to tenderize and not hold in the moisture..

[NoSecondBest]

Originally Posted by sethpa

Yup, just enough oil to keep it from sticking. Turn frequently till it's browned to keep it from burning. Use a lid when simmering to tenderize and not hold in the moisture..

Yep, what he said. He must make it that way also.

[brewer12345]

I would add a couple of observations:

- In my opinion, rabbit is best browned in butter rather than oil. I don't know why, but butter-browned rabbit is simply wonderful, whereas oil is OK. When I cook rabbit, I use butter. Squirrel is very rich on its own, so I use oil.

- If you are dredging in seasoned flour and browning, you might as well finish the dish off right. Good braising liquids include wine, beer and hard cider. I made a lovely rabbit dish last night by browning in butter, removing the rabbit pieces and then using the remaining fat to sauté chopped shallots and parsley, then I deglazed the pan (poured it in and got all the yummy brown bits off the bottom) with white wine, added a generous amount of dried thyme, a bay leaf and some salt and then simmered for a long time adding water as necessary. Heaven. When you do squirrel and rabbit this way you can add a couple of simple ingredients (mushroom, shallots or onions, leeks, carrots, diced potatoes, seasoning of your choice, etc.) and have a gourmet meal you would pay a stupid amount of money for in a restaurant with a name I can't pronounce (and which would not seat me with squirrel blood on my sleeve). You are doing 95% of the work by browning and braising, so finish the job up right and have a feast.

[tlkoppe]

Here's my "famous" simple method:
Take the pieces and dust them with salt, white pepper, sage, onion and garlic powder.(forget "dredging" in flour), set aside.

Splash some olive oil in the skillet and turn up the heat.

Toss your pieces in the pan and brown it real nice on all sides.

Pour some poultry stock in the pan, and turn the heat down to medium, just enough stock to braise the meat...don't drown it! and put a cover on the pan.

Let it go like that for 1/2 to 3/4 hour (longer if it's an old critter) adding stock as it evaporates. The idea is to carmellize the meat as you braise it. OK start eating!

If you get carried away you can toss some big chunks of carrot and potato in with the meat as it braises and you've got a one pot meal.

[rcnut51]

Best rabbit I ever had was from an experiment. start out2 apples, core and peal and cut up into quarter size pieces put into a plastic container and add white wine until covering all the apples , 1/4 your rabbits, salt-pepper and roll them in flower heat your electric fry pan to 350 with a little oil, once hot put in the rabbit along with an onion cut up , turn when brown , after they have browned add the wine and apples turn on low and cover, check occasionally when the wine has cooked down add water and let slow cook covered for a total of an hour, your pieces will fall off the bone, you can add more water to the fry pan after removing the rabbit stir around it makes great gravy. I have served this to more than one person that refuses to eat rabbit and never knew what it was but all they could say is how great it tasted. after supper I would tell them what it was that they ate and NO ONE returned the meal. lol

[OzarkDaredevil]

Just about any lean meat can benefit from spending some time in a brine solution. Beside for wild game I do this with chicken and pork. Really makes for juicy meat.

[cashcropper]

For squirrel heat 1/4 inch oil to 325-350 degrees. Salt and pepper dry pieces of squirrel. Make a fairly thick paste of water and corn starch. Dip squirrel pieces in cornstarch and put in oil. Fry for a minute or so at 350 degrees on each side. Turn down to a simmer,cover and let simmer for 1 hour turning meat over from time to time. The meat will be falling off the bone. Corn starch makes a really good batter.I have been eating squirrel like this all my life.

[ms6852]

I dredge my rabbit in seasoned flour, just salt and pepper, I brown the rabbit in two to three tablespoons of bacon grease. I than deglaze with 1/4 cup of brandy, use about 1 cup of sliced shiitake mushrooms or white button mushroom sliced thinly add about a tablespoon of butter slice a whole shallot a clove of garlic and season with more salt and white pepper to taste. Chop some fresh parsley and thyme and place the rabbit on top of all the ingredients and cover the pan. Lower the temperature and let it cook on a medium low heat for about 30 minutes. The mushrooms will release a lot of water and absorb the flavors of the brandy and rabbit.

[max503]

Originally Posted by cashcropper

For squirrel heat 1/4 inch oil to 325-350 degrees. Salt and pepper dry pieces of squirrel. Make a fairly thick paste of water and corn starch. Dip squirrel pieces in cornstarch and put in oil. Fry for a minute or so at 350 degrees on each side. Turn down to a simmer,cover and let simmer for 1 hour turning meat over from time to time. The meat will be falling off the bone. Corn starch makes a really good batter.I have been eating squirrel like this all my life.

This sounds interesting. Squirrel season is out right now. Does this work with chicken?

A lot of recipes braze the meat in water, making a gravy. I take the meat off the bone and add veggies and mushrooms and make pot pie using a store bought crust.
Nothing compares to squirrel pot pie.

[blaketh]

I was recently just looking forna good recipe as well. Great find here. I am curious about the squirrel pot pie. That sounds good as well.