Badger Stew

One of Grandma Stella’s favourite recipes was Badger Stew. Her Grandma Rose taught her how to cook it when she was a girl in the 1930s.

I remember Grandpa Rob bringing a badger home in the back of his van. He wouldn’t tell us kids where he found it – he just tapped his nose in a mysterious sort of way, and said that it was a secret.

Grandma Stella used to skin the badger in the bath and leave it there with the cold tap running tap for a couple of days. She said that this made the meat sweeter, and washed away the grit that somehow worked its way into the meat.

Grandma’s stew was very dark, and smelled a bit like old shed. Any drips that fell onto the settee could still be seen months later.

Ingredients

2kg badger meat

200g lard or dripping

1 bottle of Guinness

2 eggs

1 pot of double cream

salt and pepper

Method

Paunch and skin your badger, and soak it in running water for at least 2 days. This will get rid of any grit, will reduce bruising and will help you to de-grease it more easily.

Bone the badger and de-grease the meat then cut it into pieces.

Heat the lard or dripping  in a large pan and brown the meat. When the pieces are golden and stiff, add the Guinness and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer gently for at least two hours.

At the end of the cooking time, mix the chopped badger liver and the beaten egg yolks and pour into the pan. Serve immediately.