Title: Squirrel with Black-Eyed Peas
Categories: Game Bean Crockpot Stew
Yield: 1 Servings

		Four medium-size squirrels,
		Drawn, skinned, and cleaned
1/2	lb	Black-eyed peas
3	md	Onions
2	sm	Carrots
1/2	pk	Frozen sweet peas
1/4	lb	Smoked link sausage
		Flour
		Bacon fat or lard
		Salt and pepper
1	c	Chicken broth

For the Crock-pot: serves two

This recipe can be used with any small game animal, such as squirrels or rabbits. It will work with young groundhogs, too, if you cut them into pieces; an average groundhog, cleaned and dressed, is about the equivalent of four squirrels. (Groundhogs over 6-7 pounds live weight are usually older animals that will require a lot of cooking to become tender enough to eat.)

Put the squirrels into salted water and hold overnight in the refrigerator; the next day, rinse and pat dry.

Bring 4-6 cups of water to vigorous boil in a large saucepan, then add the black-eyed peas to it. Boil furiously for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and cover; hold 15 minutes and drain. Quarter the squirrels, and dredge with flour. Saute' in a skillet in hot bacon fat or lard until golden brown, then drain on a paper towel and place in a crock-pot. Chop the onions coarsely, and saute' in bacon fat and pan drippings until translucent, and add to the pot. Cut the carrots into 3/4" lengths, and the sausage into 1/8" disks, then add them along with the frozen peas and the cooked blackeyed peas. Salt and pepper to taste and stir gently; add the chicken broth and cook in the crock-pot for 8 hours on low setting, or until the meat is almost falling off the bones. For a different flavor, you can substitute lentils or navy beans for the black-eyed peas.

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