Possum Casserole

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 possum
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• clarified butter
• olive oil (enough to brown meat without becoming dry)
• 1 cup dry red wine
• flat or field mushroom, sliced (big meaty ones)
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (a mix of rosemary, thyme, marjoram, dill and parsley)
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 cup dark beer, eg black mac,monteiths
• 1 cup brown possum stock
• 1 tablespoon marsala

Recipe

• 1 skin and bone the possum (use only the best meat for the casserole, ie: the strip loins and hind quarters, cubed).
• 2 reserve the carcass and trimmings for stock.
• 3 in a heavy pan, heat the clarified butter and oil.
• 4 sauté onion and garlic.
• 5 when onion is clear, remove to casserole.
• 6 dust the cubed possum with flour and brown in batches.
• 7 add to casserole.
• 8 melt a little more clarified butter and sauté bacon and mushrooms.
• 9 remove to casserole de-glaze pan as necessary with red wine- add this to casserole together with herbs, ground pepper, tomato purée, beer and marsala.
• 10 stir, cover and cook in slow oven for 2-3 hours, adding more possum stock if necessary.