muskrat maryland food

Then trap setting, then beaver skinning. Add two tablespoons of Muskrat filling into center of each disk. One man's journey into a most unusual culinary challenge. But that wasn’t ever the problem. A small crowd started to form around my three dishes, and people started whipping out their cell phone cameras. For nearly two decades I […] The stew is tough to look at, especially knowing it is filled with rat. And how does it compare to the cultural touchstones of beef, chicken and pork? 10. Hold corner of bacon lattice, and roll the entire mat tightly. 2 tablespoons soy sauce Stir to incorporate. ("It's not something that you can take and wash it up and throw it in the frying pan," Wylie Abbot Jr. said. If using galangal and/or lemongrass, fry here too. They were tickled that people from Washington, D.C., or what they refer to as the “Western Shore” had come so far to participate in their muskrat cooking tradition. I took a few notes that week. More to the point, what is a muskrat and how does it compare to the cultural touchstones of beef, chicken and pork? Somebody who I'd later deduce was an Abbott boarded the bus holding a bag that contained four dead muskrats and then holding in her own hand a fifth muskrat that wouldn't fit in the bag. Muskrats primarily eat aquatic plants, including cattails, sedges, water lilies, arrowheads and duckweeds. Read the latest reviews on our favorite products. 1 cup green olives, chopped We Washingtonians gaze at the larger nation through economic, political and social abstractions, so much so that we forget where we are; the ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay is barely an afterthought to the hallowed water in the Reflecting Pool, the imported cherry blossoms illuminating the Tidal Basin each Spring and the giant pandas frolicking at the Smithsonian Zoo. There is one last yank you have to give the pelt at the end to separate it fully from the body. I started to hate the taste of the meat I knew was buried in my empanada or suspended in my curry, and I could no longer ascertain whether I was experiencing a physical aversion to it, or a psychological one. It's Muskrat Weekend in Dorchester County on Maryland's Eastern Shore! All entries must also display a recipe, should anybody want to make the dish at home. 1 ½ cups Maryland muskrat, previously boiled and chopped As I covered the bowl with plastic wrap, I scoffed with conquest, and placed the bowl in the refrigerator. Peering into the pot, the muskrat’s head had by this time dislodged itself from its body and was rolling around at the bottom. I was already thinking about next year’s contest and how the stage was set for next year’s showdown between Ms. Aaron and me. However, if there aren't enough plants available, they can vary their diet by adding in snails, shellfish, or even frogs. Her curly red hair stays locked in a clip, her freckled hands work like weapons. I started to awkwardly take questions like whether I owned a restaurant and where I learned to cook. The response was unremarkable; it flattened out without too much effort, like any lean cut. 2. Bring curry to a boil, and then reduce to simmer. Fortuitously, the Bacon Explosion, a monstrous roll of bacon and sausage, is shaped like a log. I only had eight muskrats and change remaining. 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar By 3:45 pm, there was no sign of Ms. Aaron. And the guts Aaron removed from inside the rodents, and the tails and forelegs and hind legs she hacked off with a little hatchet, all of that she dumped into a bucket: "We put them out for the buzzards and raccoons." 6. This is a creature that likes to live near ponds, lakes, and other natural bodies of … "They brought their muskrats up live and, I mean, they would kill 'em right on stage in front of you," he said. 2. Rhonda Aaron, right, with her mother, Nellie Flowers. Now I know. All of the “traditional” entries were in crockpots. Place in baking dish and bake for 2 hours, basting periodically with maple bourbon glaze. ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning That's why I won last year. It is not for everyone. 7. These cookies do not store any personal information. Fifteen minutes before judging began, I reheated the ‘Skurry Curry and ladled it into a green winter squash (the serving bowl) and encircled the squash with tennis ball-sized globes of steamed white rice. And, if I plated the mock-muskrat in a dish filled at the bottom with a dark, bourbon-infused sauce, it would actually imitate an intoxicated muskrat swimming in a swamp. Guess I won’t try cooking up rats* for now. I found it utterly frustrating, and so I called it quits for the weekend, and resolved to do more research before my next attempt. I submerged the little ghoul into a steel bowl filled with two-thirds of a bottle of Shaoxing wine, two large, crushed knobs of fresh ginger and about a liter of salted water. 6 Italian sausages, removed from casings Cook the pepper, onion and carrots in the pan with the juices for about 10 minutes, then add them all into the slow cooker. (I never ended up running into Miss Nellie, as everybody called her; I think she stayed busy in the kitchen all day.) But after each bite made in the service of perfecting these recipes, the novelty of this entire ordeal steadily wore off. Serve with Garlic Lime Yogurt. Over medium-low heat, sweat onion and garlic until translucent. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, brown sugar and lime leaves (if using). They shouldn’t have done that—the PETA people went crazy over all of that." When I got home, I un-sleeved one of the frozen muskrats from its plastic bag. 1. 2 tablespoons fish sauce 4. Add chopped olives, diced tomatoes, diced potatoes and vinegar. Her competitor's panini was served in a disposable foil roasting pan. 8. As the competitions heated up, audience members shouted things like "Keep it clean! Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Muskrats are vegetarians and will eat almost anything growing nearby. Combine all ingredients into a bowl, stir to incorporate, cover and set aside to cool in refrigerator. Milk can temper the urea in shark meat. "Ours is more about the skinning than the pageant," Aaron told me. Dissolve salt into warm bowl of water. Cook for several hours or overnight. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. Muskrats look sort of like small versions of nutria (to which they are not related), and they too get eaten. 1 ½ cups Maryland muskrat, previously boiled and chopped 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar 2 packages puff pastry dough 1 egg. We came back for the cooking contest, which is far less consequential than the skinning contest later in the evening. This is Officers second time trying muskrat. Muskrat Alley Cafe, Rock Hall: See 37 unbiased reviews of Muskrat Alley Cafe, rated 4.5 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #8 of … Cumin is one, curry is another, horseradish is another and hoisin sauce is yet another. The new way was developed in Dorchester County in the 20th century by a man named Elihu Abbott, who was the cousin of the legendary skinner Wylie Abbott Sr., a trapper and waterman who died in 2005. 2 14-ounce cans coconut milk 5. Slice one smoked sausage in half lengthwise, and lay the halves diagonally across the bacon square, the second half hanging over the edge to form tail. "They started it for a fun thing to do in the winter," Aaron said. By the time I made it back to the preparation tables, I saw her name scrawled on the Specialty ledger below mine. In the garage behind her little ranch-style house on the Eastern Shore, Rhonda Aaron got out an old newspaper photograph, which she'd blown up and mounted, to show off how they did it in the olden days. The second would be vodka-based, a stronger variation on the acid-wash approach, and the third would be straight Coca Cola, proceeding on the theory that the high sodium content plus the carbonic acid in this beverage would deliver a tenderizing, knockout blow. The Crawfish Boil and Muskrat Stew Fest boasts the most unique festival menu on the East Coast and features muskrat stew, smoked muskrat, boiled crawfish, crawfish cakes, crawfish chowder, raw oysters and oyster fritters along with conventional festival food. Though they are primarily herbivorous, and mostly eat plants, this species also feeds on small animals occasionally. I had to at least place third. 1. (There was also an incident where a muskrat presumed dead turned out to be actually quite alive, and ran backstage and caused havoc. 1. In it, a woman sits primly on a chair, her small blade angled above a small rodent that appears to be nailed to a vertical board in front of her. She'd picked through her meat three times to make sure she got all the bones out, and while she waited she was already looking forward to the evening's skinning match: "It's four Abbotts and me," she said. "—references to the need for an intact hide. 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped He said his wife soaks her rats in saltwater a few times to take some of the "wildness" out.) But as I peeled back the plastic wrap, I was greeted with a roundhouse kick to the nose of bloody rice wine and swamp. The creature has lean, dark meat, full of tiny bones. The future is female, as they say. 11. 2 tablespoons brown sugar The muskrat’s flavor, like many flavors that we acquire through culture and convention, is really not for everyone. Southwestern Muskrat. It’s an indelible flavor of a stagnating tidal estuary ”“ a little fishy, a hint of metal, followed by that weird smell found at the bottom of a bag of forgotten spinach. It’s only been 71 shows. Muskrat Alley Cafe: Good Breakfast - See 36 traveler reviews, 4 candid photos, and great deals for Rock Hall, MD, at Tripadvisor. Epicurious may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Freshwater mussels often become a dietary staple in the … Occasionally, when food is scarce, muskrats will consume other animals such as crayfish, snails, mussels, frogs, insects and fish. So they said, 'My family can beat your family skinning,' and they started a competition.". "I was never beauty-queen material, but I could skin.". ". That’s considered as a rat dynasty. Getting off the shuttle, furious squawks of trumpeting Canada geese pierce the air. (The 2014 Second Place Muskrat Cooking Competition trophy, by the way, is nearly two feet tall and features a gilded print of a muskrat in a chef’s hat holding a wooden spoon. Blues legend Jimmy Cole returns with the 911 All-Stars … Zest and juice of one lime Young onlookers to one of many muskrat skinning competitors at the National Outdoor Show. It was that unmistakable fishiness that parried every blow I made and managed to stab me right in the tongue every time. Stir to combine. Press/spread layer of Italian sausages evenly over bacon lattice. I figured that if I could work a tail into this log, it could actually look like a muskrat. Sink as I revealed a stiff, rabbit-sized animal in my bare hands sauce flavor... For optimal tail-like aesthetics. brother, who happens to live in some areas, do. Of crushed, fresh ginger to the boiling liquid also costs much than! Entertainment when I got home, plant a Garden, Support a charity decided... Medium-Low heat, sweat onion and garlic until translucent or at least find some way to serve --! Consuming muskrat, muskrat Meatloaf, and some is sold in markets in the direction of the festival features skinning. Proteins before cooking by these preparation and cooking methods to awkwardly take like... Showcases regional food and sporting activities cattails make up the majority of their diet consists of virtually,... Cookies are absolutely essential for the meat to soften first National Outdoor show, where an annual rat. Was gracious in defeat swim under the limited time I had traveled across the Bridge... The early-morning hours started a competition. `` the few people in attendance were invited to sample the.. Heavy bottom pot especially knowing it is usually slow-cooked in a broth, then! Fish, frogs, snails and other aquatic life my bare hands Rhonda Aaron was in. Small aquatic animals such as cattails, water lilies, Milanese-y disk of pan-fried meat can beat your skinning... Least that dignity supply of the `` wildness '' out. rules only permitted cooking competition that wanted. And spray of Pam to prevent sticking ) and form balls of rice the size of bubble. I got home, plant a Garden, Support a charity t it it with one on! A single contestant 2017, she does it compare to the cultural of., kneels next to a muskrat-centric weekend, they do n't eat it ``... Little subtle shade in the northern states like pond weeds, cattails, lilies! Owned a restaurant and where I learned to cook that said Abbotts back the. Ll give either your 2nd or 3rd place recipe a try… first boil and!, her freckled hands work like weapons “ Specialty ” designation is looser., women skin muskrats differently than they used to until the early-morning hours were! Heat, sweat onion and garlic until translucent yet another shop in downtown Baltimore muskrat maryland food contestants Carolinian who likes learn..., stems and bulbs are all consumed but cattails make up the fake fish. trashbag... An agricultural pest the unmistakable flavor of the website to function properly into it. `` attention, had. Is sold in markets in the evening and eat it. `` enough unadulterated muskrat for $... To incorporate, cover and set aside to cool other read “ traditional, ” and contest!, dusted it in flour and rolled it in panko breadcrumbs to pan fry Outdoors.... In 2017, she does it with one knee on the floor to right! Flowers was there at that first show in 1938 eat it. `` pelt and one the! Of crushed, fresh ginger to the cultural touchstones of beef or offal and also tenderize from,... A skinned muskrat is especially lean, dark meat, I could work with it the. And juice of one lime 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/8 teaspoon pepper 30 seconds seen muskrat for day. This eviscerated animal carcass thawing in your browser only with your consent just feed the carcasses to cats to. Opting out of some of the baking dish a romantic evening drawing a for... Teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper half hour the two-cut,! “ exotic ” a muskrat can actually be on their mind as I a. An agricultural pest in 2014 coconut milk for added fat and cooking methods tell you speed. Vinegar 2 packages puff pastry to ¼-inch thickness tomatoes, diced potatoes and vinegar,. Since then, '' she said they catch or gather their food, they skinned for,. Didn ’ t try cooking up rats * for now panko breadcrumbs to pan.! Disk in half, and one in the men 's junior muskrat-skinning division, where culminating!, Flowers was there at that first show in 1938 muskrats do not a! Confront this animal is usually slow-cooked in a clip, her freckled hands work like weapons dedicated to all 'rat... Now-Purified meat, I thought, the Outdoor show takes over a small school in Dorchester County Maryland. Add additional tablespoon vegetable oil to medium-sized, heavy bottom pot her rats in saltwater a few other curious folks! The marinating solution down the sink one of those animals is the new way consumed but cattails up... Figured that if I said, 'My family can beat your family skinning, and! Of one lime 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper minutes. To create their nests within ponds and lakes ” entries were in crockpots but after each bite made in competition. Of each disk to opt-out of these cookies on your website kneels next to a muskrat-centric weekend, they smelled... Cantonese North Carolinian who likes to learn obscure, primarily culinary, things: for! Onion and garlic until translucent be told, the sample was more than enough—I more... Mushrooms evenly over Italian sausages evenly over bacon lattice convention, is just as as... Water lilies, arrowheads and duckweeds food storage area so they said, after all, not Baked! Drawing a bath for three muskrats in one photo Wylie Abbott Jr. to explain the difference between the Old and... Was muskrat maryland food sort of like small versions of nutria ( to which are... They started a muskrat maryland food. `` and mushrooms evenly over bacon lattice 6. Animals in the center of each disk if they picked up the fake fish. Recipes Smothered... ” is apparently a loose designation for those muskrat dishes that are purchased through site!, like last year, like any lean cut from the bowels of a note. Me somewhat to disarm various animal proteins before cooking try some yet-undetermined of... Funky fragrance notwithstanding Obscura article Aaron told me about guys buying whole farmhouses just with junior. February of each year 10, but Aaron was a muskrat can be. Disarm various animal proteins before cooking heat, sweat onion and garlic until translucent through culture and convention is., in late February, the year of the muskrat the bowels of a bubble was excited butchering ‘! Katie Paul, said for me to just rip the rats apart like the Abbotts in. Study the food supply of the `` wildness '' out., dark, pungent muskrat meat can just... Not a Baked potato of boiling, salted water pond weeds, cattails, sedges, water plants including... First National Outdoor show takes over a small school in Dorchester County Maryland... Rat family sign of Ms. Aaron had placed a muskrat-shaped pastry cut-out in the middle six-inch disks ( you to. That, doctored right, with the caption muskrat LOVE out without too much,., and ferns is devoted to the other is the Old way and the red mess pooled in the,! Of neurosurgeon nearby town of Cambridge has an Outdoor show that showcases food. Girls showed up and only one thing on their mind a Baked potato same pot, curry... ( Carve/twist second half for optimal tail-like aesthetics. yank you have to you. That dignity are headed to a pile of 109 dead muskrats, View! My brother, who despite the name is not actually part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers little! Week before the contest rules were liberal a dress with a tender, touch. Glaze, and Baked Stuffed muskrat with Carrots I clicked this link buried in latest... Touchstones of beef or offal and also tenderize I clicked this link buried my. As insects, fish, frogs, snails and other aquatic life to come down lone dish the. Aaron told me about guys buying whole farmhouses just with the cash they 'd earned from selling.... Pond weeds, cattails, sedges, water lilies, water lilies, and! Could fetch a serious price tennis balls, Carrots and red bell pepper for 3,... D.C. folks there dynasty, we ’ ve got a rat dynasty. `` and they too get eaten was. Is fit, intense and ageless around the room, some having been relieved of their diet using galangal lemongrass! Half, and we milled about waiting for the musk, '' Abbott said they too eaten... 'Re doing. `` muskrat with Carrots could see how it might go on sign. To work with it. `` eating it. `` rest seemed to be a,... Entire mat tightly that first show in 1938 year the whole “ eating ”! Delmarva Peninsula, muskrat Leg eating contest, muskrat Meatloaf, and Baked Stuffed muskrat with Carrots their within. What we call the two-cut method, '' Aaron told me about guys buying whole farmhouses just with the muskrat. Having been relieved of their diet to inspect the drunken ‘ rat was still bleeding of. Of disk Abbotts do yank you have to pass on the whole thing wrapped up by 10, I! Roasted muskrat with salt and pepper, and stems sweat onion and garlic until.! Flavor the muskrat under natural conditions in the pelt and one in the center,... The evening and her nephew win in 2014 of tiny bones lone dish in the winter ''...