A recipe for badger.
This is from memory, so cooking times and temperatures are subject to experiment, and the good temper of your stove.
One badger, skinned, gutted and very thoroughly cleaned, and cut into sensible joints.
200g pancetta, or good smoked streaky bacon.
At least a kilo of shallots, unskinned weight.
A generous tablespoon of lightly crushed juniper berries.
A bunch of wild thyme, tied together.
A bottle of red wine, something flavoursome and good, not a thin horrid thing from the supermarket.
Coarsely crushed black peppercorns, to taste.
Salt, the same.
Sweat the badger joints in a heavy pan. Enamelled cast iron is good, with a very tight fitting lid. Use a low heat. After about 30 to 40 minutes the meat will have shed a certain amount of it's juices. You will lift the lid and, depending on what your badger has been eating, the smell can be quite unpleasant. Don't be put off. Discard the juices, wipe the pan clean, and return the joints to the pan, with a few table spoons of oil.
Sear the joints on all sides.
Add the pancetta, chopped very coarse, and cook for a few minutes, until it smells very sweet, and the fat has run free.
Remove the meats from the pan, and saute the shallots, just skinned and halved lengthwise.
Return the meats to the pan, add the wine, the herbs, and the juniper berries.
Bring to a slow simmer, and cook until the meat is melting. Allow at least two and a half hours. Keep an eye on things, and add a little water if necessary.
Near the end, season, and add a big bunch of flat leaf parsley. The shallots should have dissolved to lightly thicken the sauce.
This recipe is a very simple one. There are many variations. Onions and garlic (lots of it) can be used instead of shallots. I like shallots, because the sweetness, and the luxurious and emollient quality makes for a superb sauce, matching the odd earthy gameyness very well.
