Roast Possum With Apples And Yams
From lumpy1 16 years ago
- 120 minutes to make
- Serves 6
Here is a real yummy sounding dish from a book called 'Soul Food Classic Cuisine from the South' by Sheila Ferguson. grove press 1989. It appears in the chapter 'if you see it, shoot it.' and I will post it word for word.
Ingredients
- People immediately think of jed clampet, granny and the beverly hillbillies whenever they hear of 'possum. but it's a real enough critter. you'll know the expression 'playing possum.' that derives from some species of 'possum which when caught or frightened pretend to be dead. outside the states the only people i've ever met, aside from my own soul food lovin' family, who are familiar with the taste of 'possum are new zealanders who love the meat cooked in an outdoor pit like a suckling pig. 'possum tastes like a cross between rabbit and wild fowl. if you can't find one, make this recipe with a couple of wild rabbits. shopping list
- 1 large or 2 small 'possums shopping list
- 1/4 cup (2 fl oz, 60 ml) fresh lemon juice shopping list
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour shopping list
- salt and pepper shopping list
- 1 teaspoon dried ground thyme shopping list
- 2 cups (16 oz, 500 ml) water shopping list
- 2 tablespoons butter shopping list
- 6 yams (sweet potatoes), peeled and halved lengthwise shopping list
- 4 apples, peeled, cored and quartered shopping list
- 1 cup (7 oz, 200g) light brown sugar shopping list
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon shopping list
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg shopping list
How to make it
- Skin and clean your 'possum, removing as much of the unwanted fat as you can find. get rid of all the innards, and be certain to remove the small reddish musk glands from the small of its back and from under each foreleg between the shoulder and the rib. (granddaddy bert, like most hunters, used to soak his 'possums overnight in salted water, then rinse really well before roasting the next day.) douse the 'possum with lemon juice and rub it in as best as you can.
- preheat your oven to 350*F (180*C, gas 4). mix together your flour, salt, pepper, and thyme. rub the 'possum, both inside and out, with the flour mixture. now lay it on a rack in a roasting pan and pour the water in.
- cover with a tightly fitting lid or foil, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or 1 hour for a big 'possum.
- drain off all but about 1 cup (8 fl oz, 250ml) of the juice from the pan and throw in your yams. dot each half yam with a generous dollop of butter. cover again and continue to roast for an additional 45 minutes or until almost tender.
- now throw in the apple quarters. mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and sprinkle it over the yams and apples. uncover and roast for 20 minutes or until nicely browned and tender. serve immediately.
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