Where we live in south-central Wisconsin, there are muskrat lodges on most of the small lakes and ponds. So let's begin with some general observations re the critters:
Muskrats are referred to as "rats" in a general sense because they are medium-sized rodents with an adaptable lifestyle and an omnivorous diet. They are not, however, so-called "true rats", that is, members of the genus Rattus. The muskrat's name comes from the two scent glands which are found near its tail; they give off a strong "musky" odor which the muskrat uses to mark its territory...
Muskrats can swim under water for 12 to 17 minutes. Their bodies... are less sensitive to the buildup of carbon dioxide... in swimming the tail is their main means of propulsion...
They feed on cattails and other aquatic vegetation. They do not store food for the winter, but sometimes eat the insides of their lodges... Muskrats provide an important food resource for many other animals... Caribou and elk sometimes feed on the vegetation which makes up muskrat lodges during the winter when other food is scarce for them...
Muskrats have sometimes been a food resource for humans... In the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, there is a longstanding dispensation allowing Catholics to consume muskrat on Ash Wednesday, and the Fridays of Lent (when the eating of meat, except for fish, is prohibited). Because the muskrat lives in water, it is considered equivalent to fish. Lenten dinners of muskrat are therefore traditional in parts of Michigan.
And it is from the Monroe, Michigan area that the always-interesting nature blog
Naturespeak originates, and that is where I found these culinary tips:
The ‘rats arrived at the club naked, hollow, and footless but with their heads intact (as a hold-over of another tradition in which the heads were also considered delicacies). By the time they reached our cleaning table, however, the heads too were gone and all that was left to do was the fat nit-picking...
There were obvious fat deposits on the flanks, back, and inner backbone that were there to scrape off. These were easily removed. Hidden deposits, tucked under the shoulder blades and deep inside the thigh muscles, were much more elusive...
The whole reason for cleaning muskrats is to prepare them for eating, although they are animals that really don’t need “cleaning” per se. They are among the cleanest of beasts – eating a crisp vegetarian diet and obsessively washing themselves whenever and wherever possible...
As you walked down the line, your plate was piled high with one whole ‘rat per serving. The meats were served from a large cooker and the carcasses appeared to be swimming in a pool of creamed corn. Ample doses of the corn stew were then poured upon the beast and a hefty plop of mashed potatoes was placed next to it. Just for good measure, more corn was dumped upon the potatoes. This is the time-honored way to serve muskrat around these parts...
Separate platters, placed in the middle of the table for throwing bones, quickly amassed piles of shins, scapulas, fibias, tibias, and rib bones – lots of rib bones- as the meal progressed.
There is more information at the link -
Part 1 and
Part 2. Bon appetit!
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