SKUNK WITH SWEET PEPPERS

Skunk meat is surprisingly tasty, especially when you use the soft underbelly meat or strip pieces off the tops of the thigh bones. Since it is obviously not available in markets, not everyone will be able to savor this wonderful meat. But we live in the boonies and have had problems recently with skunks invading my wife’s feral cat feeding stations, I’ve had the opportunity to kill a couple of skunks with my trusty .22 and got some expert skinning lessons from my neighbor, who has been killing and eating skunk for years. This is my recipe, however, not his. Most people would not like his recipe, frankly. It’s rather disgusting, in truth, and I hesitate to even tell you how his family cooks it. My own recipe, below, I took from an age old Italian method for cooking lamb which, interestingly, tastes similar to skunk. Any rumor that you may have heard that skunk tastes like chicken is untrue.

Meat from two young skunks, approx. 2 lbs.
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Flour for dusting
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ¼ cups dry white wine
6 sweet peppers, mixed red & yellow if possible
4 tomatoes, skinned & quartered (or substitute 2 cans)
2 bay leaves

Trim any excess fat from skunk meat. The older the skunk, the more likelihood there is of fat having to be trimmed. Also, young skunk is more tender. Cut the meat into bite-sized morsels, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and coat with flour, rubbing it into the meat.
Heat the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet, add the meat and fry until lightly browned, turning once or twice. Pour in the wine and allow to bubble briskly for a few minutes until reduced by one-third.
Cut the peppers into strips, discarding the pith and seeds. Add the peppers, tomatoes and bay leaves to the skunk. Cover tightly and simmer gently for 45 minutes or until the skunk is tender. Check the seasoning and serve from the skillet.
Serves four.