Lazy Man’s Squirrel Pie
This recipe is pretty `loose'. I usually start by slow cooking 3 small or 2 large squirrels (or 1 rabbit) in a crock-pot on low heat for 8 or 9 hours (until the meat falls off the bones). Before cooking though, I slice an onion and layer the bottom of the crock-pot with the slices. Then I put the squirrels on top of the onions and add enough water to cover everything, and I mix in a packet of dry onion soup mix. When the squirrels are cooked I allow them to cool in the pot, and then I carefully bone them and collect all the shredded meat in a large bowl (I don't use the onion slices in the pies; I just use them to help flavor the meat and to keep the meat off the bottom of the pot). I add a can of mixed vegetables, such as Veg-All, to the meat, and then I add chicken gravy and mix it all together. I buy a large jar of gravy and mix in enough to have a fairly wet mixture.
After initially mixing up the meat, vegetables, and gravy, I sprinkle some salt and pepper on the top of the mix, as well as some of my ‘secret’ ingredient, thyme. Again, this recipe is loose with no exact measurements, but don’t overdo the thyme or it will be too strong. However, just a little makes the pies savory and a little different from the norm, and I believe that’s what makes them so good. After adding the seasoning, mix well before adding to pies/pasties.
For the crusts I always buy refrigerated, unroll-and-fill-type pie crust dough, and the type of pies I make depends on my whim and/or the occasion. I have pot-pie size pie pans that I sometimes use, but often I'll make mini pies for large get-togethers using cup cake pans. Either way, I unroll the 9" pie crust dough (they usually come 2 per box, and I buy a couple boxes) and I cut circles large enough to layer the bottom of the pans. Then I fill them with the meat/vegetable/gravy mixture, and I cover them with appropriate size circles of dough. I roll over the edges and crimp with a fork. Then I make slices or poke holes in the top of each pie to vent them, and I bake them according to the instructions on the pie crust box, basically watching them until they are golden brown. Other times I'll use the full 9" pie crusts to make pasties, filling half of them and folding over the other halves and sealing the edges, again venting the top before baking. No matter what form they take, they taste the same. I will also, on occasion, brush the tops of the pies/pasties with a mixture of whisked egg whites and a little water before baking to make them shiny.
Enjoy your tasty rodents!
Topic: squirrel recipes? (Read 2840 times)
