INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Saute bacon, celery, onions, oleo and cayenne pepper together for 10
minutes.
Put rats in bottom of a pan you can cover tightly (my mother makes a double
batch and uses the roaster she cooks turkey in). Pour sauteed mixture over
the rats, and then cover with tomato soup. (Don't add water to the soup.)
Bake, covered, for 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees F or until done.
  NOTES:
*  Muskrat roasted in tomato sauce -- In northwestern Ohio and downriver
Detroit, we have "muskrat suppers" in the winter, sponsored by churches and
volunteer fire departments to raise money, rather the way other people have
chicken and ham dinners.  This recipe comes from Fred Witty, via the
cookbook put out by my parents' church.
Legend has it that during the depression, the Bishop of Detroit declared
muskrats to be fish (since they live in the water), so they could be eaten
by Catholics on Fridays.
*  Muskrats are small rodents that live in swamp and build beaver-like
houses out of cat-tails and mud. In New Jersey and Ohio, at least, they are
trapped for their fur; I suspect that knowing a trapper is the only way you
can get muskrats.
*  The recipe book I have has a recipe for muskrats for a crowd, that (for
20 rats) uses the above ingredients (but quantities unspecified, except it
only uses about 1/4 lb oleo), plus chopped green and red peppers, garlic
salt, 5 bouillon cubes and 3 bay leaves. Around Detroit, muskrats are
cooked with cabbage and potatoes, and some folks at home roast them with
apples and onions.
: Difficulty:  easy once you have the muskrats.
: Time:  30 minutes preparation, 3 hours cooking.
: Precision:  count the muskrats.
: Pat Carstensen
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