SQUIRREL AND DUMPLINGS
High Country Comfort Foods: Part 2
Although the grand comeback stories of the white-tailed deer and wild turkey have relegated the humble bushytail to a place well down the ladder when it comes to game species favored by hunters, for several generations squirrels were the single most popular quarry among countless sportsmen. In my family at least, squirrel was a regular menu item from when the season opened in mid-October right through until it closed at the end of February. Here’s a squirrel and dumplings recipe:
- 2 squirrels, cleaned and cut into serving pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 3-4 chopped carrots
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups water
Place the quartered squirrels in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Add bay leaves and simmer for an hour and a half or until meat is tender. Skim if necessary. Squirrel may be removed from the bones at this juncture and returned to the pot or leave pieces intact if you wish. Add onion, celery, carrots, seasonings and more water. Cook for 15 to 20 additional minutes or until the vegetables are tender. At that point increase heat to a boil and add dumplings which have been readied while the vegetables cooked.
DUMPLINGS
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Slowly add milk to dry ingredients and drop resultant batter by teaspoons into the bubbling stew. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the dumplings are done in the center. Enjoy your squirrel and dumplings!
NOTES: This recipe can be doubled if desired. Also, if you want to take a shortcut on your dumplings, pinch small pieces from store-bought canned biscuits and drop into the stew to cook.
In company with his late wife, Ann, Jim Casada wrote a number of cookbooks focusing on game or foods from the wild. One of those, The Complete Venison Cookbook, is available from him or the Sporting Classics Store. Jim’s next book, Fishing for Chickens: A Smokies Food Memoir, is due out from the University of Georgia Press in mid-2022. He is currently taking advance reservations for copies now. To reserve a copy or learn more about his many other books, include his recent multi-award winning A Smoky Mountain Boyhood: Memories, Musings, and More, visit his website at www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com or e-mail him at jimcasada@comporium.net.
Hundreds of kitchen-tested recipes make this cookbook your answer to a table of hungry hunters or out-of-town guests! Even the choosiest of eaters will enjoy the savory variety of recipes from crockpot cookery to venison on the grill.
Deer hunters and popular culinary creators Jim and Ann Casada have personally tested these recipes in their own home, assuring you of quality, delicious venison dishes. From traditional favorites to more exotic recipes, you’ll enjoy every venison dish imaginable, including: Stir fry, French dip, Fajitas, Kabobs, Piccata, Sloppy Joes, Lasagna, Ribs, Meatballs, Jerky and hundreds more! Buy Now
