Australians cook up wild cat stew

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Weird. Anyone fancy cooking up some cockroaches and rats to reduce the pest problem?

Australians have come up with a novel solution to the millions of feral cats roaming the outback - eat them.

The felines are the descendants of domestic pets and kill millions of small native animals each year.

A recent Alice Springs contest featured wild cat casserole. The meat is said to taste like a cross between rabbit and, perhaps inevitably, chicken. But wildlife campaigners have expressed their dismay that Australia's wild cat now finds itself on the nation's menus.

Feral cats are one of the most serious threats to Australia's native fauna. They eat almost anything that moves, including small marsupials, lizards, birds and spiders.

The woman behind the controversial cat stew recipe has said Australians could do their bit to help the environment by tucking into more feral pests, including pigeons and camels. But it was a recipe for feline casserole that impressed some of the judges at an outback food competition in Alice Springs.

Preparing this unusual stew seems simple enough. The meat should be diced and fried until it is brown. Then lemon grass is to be added along with salt and pepper and three cups of quandong, which is a sweet desert fruit.

It is recommended that the dish be left to simmer for five hours before being garnished with bush plums and mistletoe berries. Marinated moggie was not to everyone's taste. One of the competition judges found the meat impossibly tough and had to politely excuse herself and spit it out in a backroom.

Wild cats are considered good eating by some Aborigines, who roast the animals on an open fire.

This outback cuisine does come with a health warning. Scientists have said that those eating wild cats could be exposed to harmful bacteria and toxins.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6974687.stm

[archie07 0]

I'll pass. I ate either cat or rat in the filipines, needless to say I wasn't feeling quite well that evening.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Australia has a lot of pest problems resulting from the introduction of 'alien' species that have no natural predators to keep them in check.

First it was rabbits (guess where Myxomatosis came from), then it was cane toads (people are apparently encouraged to run these over in their cars), now wild cats.

Why has noone found a nutritious way to prepare and consume the Cane Toad? I smell discrimination

[trailmix 77]

I smell discrimination

[kim&james 0]

Why has noone found a nutritious way to prepare and consume the Cane Toad? I smell discrimination

LOL

Practicing my golf swing on cane toads is more fun!

[Jason-Sasha 1]

High powered firecrackers would be more fun!

[Heracles 417]

Weird. Anyone fancy cooking up some cockroaches and rats to reduce the pest problem?

Australians have come up with a novel solution to the millions of feral cats roaming the outback - eat them.

The felines are the descendants of domestic pets and kill millions of small native animals each year.

A recent Alice Springs contest featured wild cat casserole. The meat is said to taste like a cross between rabbit and, perhaps inevitably, chicken. But wildlife campaigners have expressed their dismay that Australia's wild cat now finds itself on the nation's menus.

Feral cats are one of the most serious threats to Australia's native fauna. They eat almost anything that moves, including small marsupials, lizards, birds and spiders.

The woman behind the controversial cat stew recipe has said Australians could do their bit to help the environment by tucking into more feral pests, including pigeons and camels. But it was a recipe for feline casserole that impressed some of the judges at an outback food competition in Alice Springs.

Preparing this unusual stew seems simple enough. The meat should be diced and fried until it is brown. Then lemon grass is to be added along with salt and pepper and three cups of quandong, which is a sweet desert fruit.

It is recommended that the dish be left to simmer for five hours before being garnished with bush plums and mistletoe berries. Marinated moggie was not to everyone's taste. One of the competition judges found the meat impossibly tough and had to politely excuse herself and spit it out in a backroom.

Wild cats are considered good eating by some Aborigines, who roast the animals on an open fire.

This outback cuisine does come with a health warning. Scientists have said that those eating wild cats could be exposed to harmful bacteria and toxins.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6974687.stm

They made a mistake with a word in the article. Instead of the women they should have used "the moron behind..."

[kim&james 0]

High powered firecrackers would be more fun!

YES! alas there is a permanent ban on fireworks in Queensland... (home of the most cane toads)

[tonyr7 0]

i dont know about cane toads, but a feral cat can make a great meal

forget the lemongrass tho tony cacheres cajun seasoning is much better