# Squirrel Gumbo



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Squirrel Gumbo










Roux:
¾ cup - flour
¾ cup - oil or bacon fat

Ingredients:
1½ lb - cooked squirrel meat
½ lb - spicy smoked sausage in bite-sized pieces (andouille is best)
1 large - onion, chopped
2 stalks - celery, chopped
1 - green pepper, chopped
2 tsp - minced garlic
1 - 12 oz pkg frozen okra (optional)
2 tbsp - parsley flakes
2 bay leaves
3 quarts - chicken broth (if you don't like squirrel stock)
1 to 2 tbsp - Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning










Toppings:
1 bunch - thinly-sliced green onion tops
Filé seasoning

Meat cooking directions:
Quarter 2 carrots and 1 medium onion. In a large pot bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the vegetables, 2 tbsp of salt, some peppercorns, and enough squirrels to make 1 ½ lbs of boneless meat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the meat falls off the bones. Strain the stock tru a clean towel and set aside. Discard the vegetables. Rinse the squirrels in warm water and then remove the meat from the bones

Gumbo Directions:
In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, slowly stir flour into the hot oil with a wire whisk. Stir continually for 30 to 45 minutes until the roux resembles melted dark chocolate. If the roux burns, throw it away and start over.

When the roux is ready, stir in the garlic, chopped onions, celery, and pepper. Cook until the vegetables just start to turn clear. (It only takes a few minutes.) In a large pot combine the roux mixture with the stock and bring to a boil. Add squirrel meat, sausage, bay leaves, parsley, and Tony's seasoning and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 3 hours. Throw in some okra if you want. Add more seasoning if needed.

Pour over hot rice and then garnish with fresh parsley and filé powder. Serve with French bread.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

Oooooh, Goob, I love me some gumbo!!! I ain't about to eat it with squirrel, but I guarantee I'm trying this recipe with some birds.

Thanks! That really looks delicious.


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

I just polished off the last of my turkey gumbo, made from the carcass of my Christmas bird. Oooh-eee. Ah gar-rone-tee!


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Squirrel gumbo is mighty danged good.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Goob fed Stillhunterman and myself some of this gumbo a while ago. FANTASTIC tasting gumbo!!!


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Bax* said:


> Goob fed Stillhunterman and myself some of this gumbo a while ago. FANTASTIC tasting gumbo!!!


OK I am gonna ask a really dumb question. Is there ANYWHERE in Utah where they actually have a few squirrels to hunt? Is there even a season for them here? Back home in LA the season starts the first weekend in October and runs to the end of February. During a good year it isn't hard to get your limit of 8 per day at all.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Seems like Goob got them from Illinois if memory serves me correct? He could weigh in on squirrel hunts better than I because I've never hunted them before.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Bax* said:


> Seems like Goob got them from Illinois if memory serves me correct? He could weigh in on squirrel hunts better than I because I've never hunted them before.


That is right. I get a mess of those big ole fox squirrels and a few gray squirrels every year from Illinois. Some of those Illinois corn-fed fox squirrels can weigh as much as a Wyoming cottontail.

I've tried the WY/UT squirrels and they aren't on the top of my list. I'll eat em if I shoot them though.

Squirrel hunting with a .22 rifle is my 2nd favorite hunt.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I made about 4 gallons of squirrel gumbo last week and took it to work. I only got one bowl of it so it must have been OK.

I'm still hungry for it and still had squirrels in the freezer so I'm making a small pot, couple gallons, as a side dish for our Father's Day dinner:


Using store-bought broth for this pot.

.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Ok now I'm officially jealous!!!!!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)




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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

what a great picture!Man that looks delicious.Mmmm okra!!


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Goob if you have any left you should try some squirrel sauce piquante. That's almost as good as gumbo and a little easier to make especially in smaller batches.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Ermagersh that looks soooooooo tasty!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

LostLouisianian said:


> Goob if you have any left you should try some squirrel sauce piquante. That's almost as good as gumbo and a little easier to make especially in smaller batches.


Yeah, I like squirrel sauce piquante but not as much as I like squirrel gumbo.

see post #25 here:
http://utahwildlife.net/forum/26-recipes/20631-squirrel-3.html

Gumbo is a lot of work. My friends from south of I10 always told me "The reason Yankees don't make gumbo is because it's too much @%^&&* work". :sad:

.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

wyogoob said:


> Yeah, I like squirrel sauce piquante but not as much as I like squirrel gumbo.
> 
> see post #25 here:
> http://utahwildlife.net/forum/26-recipes/20631-squirrel-3.html
> ...


I don't understand why people think gumbo is a lot of work. To me it's a lot of fun. I get just as much enjoyment out of making it, kind of like making a masterpiece. If you know how to make a roux (which is ridiculously easy) then the rest is child's play. Besides you get to taste it a lot before everyone else.... ;-)


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Personally, I like pieces of meat, still on the bone, in my gumbo. Whole squirrel legs, chicken wings and backs, turtle legs, duck thighs; they're all good.

Here's some gumbo made using andouille, de-boned squirrel and whole squirrel hind legs:


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Emm need to try this. Why are the squirrels not as good in utah? Can you brine them in the fridge to make them taste better?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

They eat mostly pine cone kernels (different from pine nuts) and taste pretty pine-y. If you can find a place where there's evidence that they're eating something else they might taste better.


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