thegoodfood

Archive for February 5th, 2010

Not very popular as a main course, there are many people who can enjoy the taste of the squirrel meat with the condition that the meat is prepared and cooked properly. The age of the squirrel, the size of it along with how you prepare it will influence the taste of the meat. With this article we will try to present an easy method regarding how to prepare a squirrel for a delicious dinner.

The key to a tasty meal is to have a freshly killed squirrel so that the meat does not lose its properties. The very first thing to do is to rinse the squirrel in water, ensuring that it is entirely saturated. You must leave the squirrel in the water long enough in order to soak to the skin, this is very important as it will allow you later on to skin the squirrel easier because it will keep the hair together, facilitating a easy skinning process.

After doing so, you must take out the entrails by using a very sharp knife. What you need to do is to cut on the animal’s belly from just under the ribs, through the abdomen and towards the hindquarters. First, remove the bladder – be careful not to spill any urine on the meat as it will ruin it for good. Open the pelvis in order to remove the remaining organs.

You now need to skin the squirrel by slicing under the skin from the hind end and over the belly to the squirrel’s flanks. Next, take the tail and pull it towards the forelegs, removing the hide. After completing this process, you will now need to cut off the head and the feet. Remove any remaining skin from the legs and as fast as you can, remove the innards.

The squirrel meat is usually boiled or fried. If you want to boil it, put the squirrel in a pot of water or stock & cook for approximately 2 hours or until the meat is tender. If you want to fry it, cut the squirrel into pieces and dredge in flour and your favorite seasonings. Fry the meat in oil until it gets a brown color pattern and simmer it for about 30 minutes or so.

You need to remember that the meat of the young squirrels is usually tenderer and the taste of the meat is affected by the area from which the squirrel came from. The squirrel meat is usually cooked more than other traditional meats because it takes longer for a wild meat to become tender. Never use a squirrel that was shot through the abdomen because they are harder to clean and the meat becomes tainted from the entrails.

In order to avoid spoilage, prepare and cook the squirrel meat as fast as possible. For unused meat, clean it and freeze it in order to maintain its flavor. If properly prepared, the squirrel meat is very delicious.

As a conclusion, the process of preparing a squirrel for cooking is not that hard and the taste of the meat is something unique, something that cannot be compared to other meats. Have fun cooking and eating!

You can gain access to a squirrel recipes book by accessing the following website – www.squirrelrecipesbook.com
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By far the most fabulous way to impress guests, canapes can often be the most amazing – and most beautiful – part of an event. Small mouthfuls of miniature classic favourites, or platters of perfectly designed parcels and morsels, they are certainly the teeny tiny way to your guests’ hearts!

Canapes are also often the showcase for a really good caterer. High end celebrity and corporate caterers such as “rhubarb”, Alison Price or The Admirable Crichton ensure that every item on their extensive canape lists is a real work of art. Presentation is always absolutely key in canapé catering, as of course are the highest quality ingredients and the freshest, most seasonal, produce.

These catering wizards often have their very own canape chefs, whose sole responsibility is to create the perfect miniature marvels. They often specialise in breathtakingly clever serving ideas – vintage style usherette trays laden with mini pies, or multi coloured glass and perspex carousels filled with tiny seafood cocktails, or silver chargers piled with mini quails eggs and dipping salts, fish and chip canapés in branded paper or wrapped in photos of the happy couple, pink lamb fillet speared on rosemary skewers, caviar served on mother of pear spoons. In fact, with the right canape catering, any dish at all can be made into an absolutely stunning canape.

Just because the canapes are small though, doesn’t mean the job itself is! Most canape caterers work on a rule of allowing six to eight canapes per person, with perhaps ten to twelve varieties, some fish, some meat, some game, some hot, some cold, some vegetarian, and so of course the numbers of perfect little parcels soon add up!

And don’t forget sweet canapes too – they are such a fun party feature. Think of piles of mini brownies dusted with glitter or gold leaf, mini ice cream cones with multi coloured ices, fruit garnishes or chocolate sprinkles, marvellous mini pavlovas oozing cream, or just trays of shot glasses filled with little trifles, mousses and brulees.

Of course the best caterers make an art of making the best canapes, but canapes can also be fairly easy to manage at home – think about prosciutto wrapped pear and dolcellate, mini fishcakes with a sweet chill dipping sauces, or just traditional roasted and honey glazed sausages. Even simpler – large prawns or crevettes with flavoured mayonnaise, bruschetta, or even just a baked vacherin or camembert.

A hugely sociable way of eating and experiencing fabulous food style too, the art of canape catering is certainly one worth looking in to for any and every event. Combined with champagne, canapes make the perfect drinks reception for a business event, the perfect start to a wedding breakfast or big birthday party, and of course at some parties, they just make for a perfect few hours grazing and chatting.

Here the writer Sara Allom writes about the making of Canapes , and the presentation as a starter in any party. Rhubarb makes and presents the Canapes of different flavour to add fun in the party.
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A wedding day – the most important day of a girl’s life some might say. And after the dress and the venue and the honeymoon, well the food is pretty crucial too!

Whilst there are a thousand ways to do the food at a wedding – from fish and chip van to Indian buffet to sit down five course banquet – great food means happy guests, and an even more memorable day. So it’s important to get it absolutely right.

Paying a wedding caterer is the answer for many couples. And there are a huge number of companies specializing in wedding catering in the UK – companies who perhaps do corporate and private parties too, but who, overall, make wedding business their business.

Much of your decision making process about your wedding caterer should be dictated by the type of wedding you want. Are you looking for an urban city affair with a minimalist reception venue and a modern European menu? Or will it be a rustic day, with spring flowers in ribbon tied jam jars, hay bales to sit on and a hog roast by the barn? Perhaps you are thinking about a theme – do you have a seaside venue in mind, then serve local fish and seafood. Or lots of Caribbean family – how about a Caribbean style barbecue?

Wedding caterers can vary hugely in price and in product. Low key, casual and less formal weddings may benefit from smaller, more relaxed catering companies. But if budget is no issue, then the world is your oyster and you can find companies who will provide ice towers laden with the finest caviar and luges pouring the most superb vodka.

Choosing your wedding caterer is therefore crucial. Do your research – ask for recommendations, speak to other brides, or to the planning staff at your chosen venue (venues often provide a list of professionals they prefer to work with). Ask your photographer, florist and other wedding suppliers whether they can recommend a great caterer. Look for testimonials that might give you a steer on whether a wedding catering company really knows what they are doing. If a number of brides have recently written glowing letters of recommendation after their big days, then you can be pretty sure a caterer is able to do the same for you.

The lovely thing about paying a proper wedding caterer is that you can really relax on the big day, safe in the knowledge that a whole team with all the relevant skills and experience will be responsible for getting it right, so that you can concentrate on the vows, the speeches and first dance!

At the outset, it is very important to focus on the menu – and you can talk to your potential wedding caterers about this very early on. Get them to suggest ideas. Talk about what suits you as a couple, and get advice on what is right for the venue, the overall occasion and for your guests. If the produce is excellently sourced and excellently cooked, even sausages and mash can be perfect for a wedding meal. Ask your caterer about what is seasonal, and what they think of as their signature wedding dishes. If you want canapés before the meal, when people arrive and drink their first glass of icy champagne, then ask to see a canape list – getting these right really makes an important first impression and is a great way of wowing your guests before they have even sat down!

Don’t forget your wedding cake – most wedding caterers will look after that too – ask to see photos of past cakes and you will soon get an idea for what you do or don’t want. Traditional white tiered fruitcake? Or gorgeous fun and frivolous cupcakes with your initials on?

Some of the larger wedding caterers such as “The Admirable Crichton” and “rhubarb” will also look after the decorative side of things for you. Lighting, linen, staff uniform, candles and table centerpieces can all fall under the remit of the wedding caterer, so make sure you get yours right!