If you do not live in the south then you probably have never enjoyed a delicious bowl of possum (opossum) stew. Possum stew is like any other stew, a blend of meat, vegetables, herbs and spices. The method of cooking it, and the ingredients used, are what gives it either a great taste. Of course if it’s cooked wrong, then it can be a pot of yucky mess that not even a starving buzzard would eat.
I once had possum stew that tasted so bad that I could not believe that anyone would even consume it, yet many others did enjoy it! (Nope, not me, nada bit, spit it out, yuck). Yet, I have heard that there are some southern cooks that can cook up a pot of stew that tastes better than any beef stew on the planet! It’s not about what you cook, it’s all about HOW you cook it, that makes a great dish!
Why Don’t You Experiment A Bit?
You may not know of anyone who cooks possum stew, but that’s ok! You can still try this southern delicacy, is you are willing to prepare the dish yourself! I share a great “base recipe” that can get you started, click here to view it now!
Granny’s Possum Stew recipe is a great recipe to get started with. You can start with it to develop your own yummy recipe! As you can see, the recipe calls for some very basic ingredients. From gravy to onions to lard and tomatoes. By making a few changes, you can develop something that is more suited to your tastes and desires.
First, Compile A List For Your Personal Possum Stew Recipe
To get started, first one would need to write down a list of ingredients that is suited for an individuals taste. A few herbs, spices and vegetables that you’d like to include in your recipe.
Then substitute one of the ingredients in Granny’s recipe, for one from your list. For example, if you detest lard, then swap it with something like coconut oil or Crisco. If you do not like onions, then maybes switch that out with something like radishes for a bit of sharpness.
You can also add additional ingredients, to add a bit more flavor. Smoked sausage is a personal favorite of mine, it adds yummy flavor to pretty much any dish!
Let’s Get Cooking!
Once you have determined which ingredients you wish to switch, add, replace etc. Then you can begin the process of actually cooking your delicious stew.
Simply follow the basic instructions provided with Granny’s recipe, and add your ingredients as the stew simmers.
Let the stew simmer for a bit, then taste a small bite. If it’s not to your liking, then add something more. An herb or spice, maybe a pepper or even some fat from a juicy steak to give it more of a beefy flavor.
What If It’s A Disaster? Will I Waste Food If I Toss It Out?
Heck no, a recipe is NEVER a disaster so long as you know how to cook like a wise pioneer would! Imagine this, on the frontier, people had to cook a lot with very limited resources.
If a meal was spoiled, they never tossed it out as a useless pile of slop. They would instead salvage it by getting creative about the way it was “repurposed”.
There is a great article about “Reusing Food Waste” that you should read, to learn various methods you can use to repurpose your food scraps and waste.
My Favorite Method To Repurpose Soups And Stews
It doesn’t matter if your stew or soup tastes great or not, repurposing it can always be a great thing to do!
I like to freeze 1/2 cup of stew, in small Ziploc bags. Once the stew is added to the bag, lay it on a cookie sheet flat. Stack several bags on the sheet, freeze the bags, then stack them neatly in your freezer.
You will have small square blocks of frozen stew that can be added to future dishes. Defrost a bag, and add it to cracklin cornbread for a bit of extra flavor. Mix a pack in your meatloaf, add it to some chicken and dumplins or put some in your next pot of vegetable soup!
By doing this, you can guarantee that nothing will go to waste. Who knows, it could help you create a dish that is so dang delicious that people will beg you for the recipe! Who can beat saying “The Secret Ingredient Is Possum That Has Been Marinated In A frozen Sauce For 3 Months In My Freezer”. That will REALLY surprise your guests!
Of course, you may want to warn them that possum is one of the ingredients before you serve the dish! Some folks might get a wee bit offended if you feed them varmint unawares!
Let Me Know What You Cook!
If you decide to cook you up some possum stew, let me know, I would love to hear about your success (or failure)!
If you need help tweaking your recipe, I am here and will help as much as I can. Maybe together, we will be able tocreate a great dish to wow all of your family and friends!
