Would You Be Willing To Try A Delicious Squirrel Pot Pie?

Now maybe you think I'm just trying to be funny, and maybe I am.

But...there's no denying the fact that we are experiencing a huge boom in the squirrel population around these parts, that I'm not 100% sure we've ever experienced before. So, it does beg the question....what useful thing could we possibly do with all these extra squirrels?

Since we can't train them to be nut collectors, which would have them collecting food for us, then that leaves turning the squirrels into food. Full disclosure...I've never had squirrel. But I've had some funky game meats over the years, and I wouldn't hesitate one second to try it.

There's a variety of ways to prepare squirrel.

You can trim the legs, and roast them like chicken legs. You could skin them and roast them whole. Or....clean them, cook the meat, and make yourself a dee-lish pot pie. Here's a recipe from MissHomemade.com that I thought really nailed it.

SQUIRREL POT PIE

2 to 3 cups cooked squirrel, chopped

Dice 1 cup each:
potato
carrot
celery
onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas
two 9" pie crusts

Start by sweating the vegetables in a dutch oven. After the veggies start to turn translucent, de-glaze with the white wine, add the butter, and then the flour. This will form a roux in the pan. Allow this to cook down for a few minutes to get rid of the flour-y taste.

Then add the stock slowly, and allow to thicken as it cooks. You can always add more roux if it needs to be a bit thicker. At this time also add the squirrel meat, and the remaining herbs and spices, then allow to cook down for a bit and develop all the flavors. Allow thickened filling to cool a bit before adding to your crust, that has already been laid out in, preferably, a glass pie plate. Slap the other crust on, and bake it 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until your top crust gets a nice, deep golden brown.

I'd probably use a store bought pie crust, but any crust recipe will do.

I lack the kind of patience you need to put together a proper pie crust. And here's a bonus....You could not use any crust at all, and you'd just have a delicious squirrel stew, or you could even use biscuit dough and either add dumplings to said stew, or make a Biscuit Topped Pot Pie.

Either way....I'd have to say this recipe is more for squirrel hunters, as opposed to bad drivers looking to make a new recipe for a way to use up all the critters they ran over. I doubt roadkill has the same nutritional value as a squirrel from deep in the woods. But hey, whatever blows your hair back. If you do decide to try this out, just let me know what time dinner is, and I'll be right there!