Tasty possum recipes
Written by Penny Jacks, Community Ranger
I’ll start by saying I have only cooked possum twice, so I am not an expert possum chef. However, I did some research and thought others who are keen to try might benefit from my learnings.
I like the idea of making use of the whole animal as a way to honour the life that was taken. It also makes sense economically, with increasing food prices, as well as environmentally. Just think, this meat has a minimal carbon footprint, no artificial hormones or antibiotics, and is cruelty free. Possum meat is a great source of protein with around 241% of your daily value in one pound of meat. It also includes Niacin, Vitamin B6, Iron, Phosphorus and Selenium, and provides a high amount of Vitamin B12.
Is there a risk of catching Bovine Tuberculosis?
In the latest testing round, OSPRI did not find any cases of Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) in possums caught in Dunedin. This means there is a very low risk that a possum you catch here will have TB. The risk of contracting the disease from an infected animal is even lower if you don’t consume the lungs or liver and you ensure all possum meat is cooked thoroughly before eating.
Before preparing a possum for cooking, check that the animal is healthy by looking for welts and lesions, and checking the eyes are clear. If you encounter an unhealthy looking possum, contact the Animal Health Board.
Possums vary in flavour and texture
Like other animals, the flavour and texture of possum meat depends on the age and sex of the possum. Firstly, make sure it’s a fresh catch! Caught the previous night is best. Leave the maggot-infested carcasses for the bugs and soil microbes!
For fattier meat try a breeding female possum with a distended pouch. Adult males tend to be leaner, have more muscle bulk and have a stronger possum smell to their meat. If you’re keen to try an authentic gamey flavour go for a large male. For the most tender meat, a juvenile or pre-breeding possum is best.
How to prepare the possum for cooking
First you will want to skin the possum to remove all the fur. There are plenty of how-to guides on the internet for skinning possums. Essentially, after making cuts through the skin at the ankles, wrists, neck and along the belly you should be able to peel the skin off with a bit of force. You’ll want to keep the body off the ground while doing this, I recommend using a clean tarpaulin, a large plastic tub or something similar.
Once skinned, you have a good view of the digestive system in the abdominal cavity and will be able to assess the health of the possum by the condition of its organs. Be careful not to sever the large intestine as the smell will taint the meat. Next you want to either remove the meat you want to use or, if you want to cook the possum whole, remove the internal organs and any remaining fur. For the recipes below I used just the legs, arms and shoulders (with paws removed).
Marinade for tender meat
Possum is quite a tough meat, especially the more mature specimens. You can break down these fibres using an acidic marinade such as lemon juice, red wine or greek yoghurt. Cover the meat with the marinade and let it sit in the fridge of 24-48hrs.
How I cooked the possum dinners
My style of cooking involves reading a few different recipes and then winging it. Below are the recipes for the two possum meals I have made. The meals were shared with my flatmates and the City Sanctuary team. I got positive reviews from everyone so they can’t be that bad.
Stewed Possum
Ingredients
Potatoes, cut into chunks
Carrots, cut into chunks
1 onion, peeled and quartered
Approximately 500g possum meat (marinaded in red wine for 48hrs)
Red wine (1 cup)
1 cup beef stock
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Method
Throw everything in the slow cooker for 4-8 hours or cook at 180C in a casserole dish in the oven for 4 hours. Make sure to top up the liquid level if it gets low to stop it drying out. Add as much salt and pepper as you feel like.
Penny’s Possum Curry
Ingredients
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup yoghurt
Curry powder or your favourite curry spices
1 onion, sliced
500g possum meat (marinaded in greek yoghurt for 48hrs)
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt
Method
Fry the onion in a pan until soft, then add the garlic. Add the spices and fry until the spices become fragrant (about 30 seconds). Transfer to a slow cooker or casserole dish and add the remaining ingredients. Slow cook in an oven casserole dish for 4 hours at 180C or for 4 hours in a slow-cooker. To serve, I fried up some vegetables and cashew nuts separately and dished everything up on rice.