Raccoon and Root Vegetable Stew

Raccoons were the most available fall and winter game animal in the mountain South — smart, adaptable, and found everywhere from riverbanks to cornfields. The fat of a raccoon that has been eating corn all summer is clean and mild. Stewed with root vegetables and seasoned simply with salt and pepper, it produced a rich, dark broth and tender, falling-apart meat that hunters valued highly.

Ingredients

• 1 cleaned raccoon, jointed into pieces
• 1 gallon cold salted water for soaking
• 2 large onions, quartered
• 4 potatoes, cubed
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 turnips, cubed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sage
• Salt to taste
• Water to cover

Directions

1. Soak cleaned raccoon pieces overnight in cold, heavily salted water. This is essential to remove wild flavor.

Drain, rinse, and pat dry.

1. In a large pot, cover raccoon with fresh cold water. Bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes. Drain — this parboiling step removes additional gaminess.
2. Return to pot with fresh water. Add onions, garlic, sage, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer covered 2–3 hours until meat is very tender.
4. Add potatoes, carrots, and turnips. Cook 30 more minutes uncovered.

Season generously with salt.

1. The broth should be rich and golden. The meat should fall from the bone.
2. Serve over cornbread or with corn pone.

Notes

The double preparation — overnight soak and initial parboiling — is what separates good raccoon stew from gamey, unpleasant raccoon stew. A young raccoon (under 15 lbs) that has been eating grain is far better than an older, larger animal. Fall raccoons in corn-growing areas are the best.