Foxy meal: I want you

Sometimes the eating habits of us former country folk can be controversial. I appalled a local Aussie food writer with stories of road kill from the Essex countryside. We’d often hit pheasants/partridge/rabbit/hare or just find them in the road. We’d pick them up take them home and hang them – this would be during winter remember – and wait until the maggots dropped out.
At this point I could slip them out of their skin by hand. The meat will have been chemically changed by the bacteria into a fermented cheese type affair. And the resulting roast/pie/stew would have those wonderful strong gamey flavours that are so out of fashion nowadays..
I was reminded of this today when I heard that the body of a young fox was found in Tasmania today. This is important as Tasmania is a pristine environment and the local marsupials are vulnerable to such predators and the aim is to keep foxes out of Tasmania.
Unless you are a farmer, these dog-like beasts with their red fur, long fluffy tails and pointy ears look pretty cute.
And if you are going to trap or shoot one, you should really eat it in the spirit of recycling and conservation.
When I see one I don’t only see a wonderful beast but a wonderful meal. I still prize my ripped Barbour jacket spattered with fox blood from years back.
First lock away the dogs, those sensitive creatures. Skin the body (of the fox) and soak the carcase in running water for three days. Gut the beast, clean it and cut into joints. Heat olive oil in a large enamel pan. Brown.
Fox meat can be bitter and acrid and the secret to overcoming this is to wait for the juices to be released and reabsorbed. Then add a some mashed garlic cloves. Add thyme, tarragon and fennel fronds plus salt – my current fave being the eco-sound Murray River Salt.
When browned add a glug or two of decent full-bodied red wine, tinned tomatoes (this is really a winter recipe), two bay leaves and some home made beef stock.
Cook in the oven with the lid on at 150C until the flesh melts.
If you really have to make this dish seem a little for fashionable than the humble ingredients suggest serve with crushed Kipfler spuds and perhaps samphire.
This recipe also works well with goat and badger. We don’t have badger here, but I plan to give this a go with wombat.
Tallyho!