Muskrat seekers are still among us

Just when I thought the muskrat eating tradition has begun dying out in Delaware, I started receiving phone calls from diners who have a taste for these furry, marsh-dwelling rodents.

Seasonal muskrat dinners aren't just relics from bygone days, and muskrat trapping now is in full swing.

In New Castle County, the season runs from December through March 10, and it continues for five more days after that in Kent and Sussex counties.

Obviously, this is not a meat for everyone. I've tried it a few times, in the pursuit of culinary journalism, and, well, let's just say, I don't need to eat muskrat again. Ever.

Some call it a taste of Delaware history, yet I think the dark, earthy meat has a brackish, fishy flavor that lingers like house guest who has long overstayed his welcome. The funky taste is hard to get rid of both in the nose and on the tongue no matter how many glasses of water or pieces of bread you eat.

To each his own and all are welcome to my share of muskrat. I'll take a hamburger, please.

But, those who have a curiosity about the taste and desire to be true locavores still have some options.

While the Wagon Wheel in Smyrna, one of the state's best known restaurants that still served muskrat closed in September, there are other places to find the game, also known as marsh rabbit.

Terry Bowden, administrator of the Milford Moose Family Center 2316, wanted to share that its annual wild game and seafood dinner will be Feb. 14 from 4 to 7 p.m. The center is located at 20142 Beaver Dam Road in Milford.

The cost, $25 per person, includes muskrat, deer, duck, geese, beaver and raccoon, along with oysters on the half shell, fritters, frog legs, steamed shrimp, fish, clam chowder, crab soup and beer.

No reservations are needed, but you can go to the Milford center and buy tickets in advance. For more information, call (302) 424-2316.

Back in October, News Journal readers also shared other Delaware eateries and businesses that served muskrat.

The Blackbird Community Center has muskrat dinners at its 120 Blackbird Forest Road center in Townsend once a month, on a Saturday, through April.

The $10 dinners, usually from 5-7 p.m., include a helping of muskrat or meatloaf, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes and cornbread as well as rice pudding or bread pudding. The muskrat dinners are held in conjunction with the Delaware Trappers Association. For more information, call Bullock at (302) 378-2021.

The Southern Grille on Del. 16 in Ellendale, (302) 422-9090, serves muskrat on Wednesday nights, beginning at 4 p.m. For $13.95, you get muskrat with fried potatoes and stewed tomatoes or rice and gravy. Cornbread comes on the side.

Sunset Restaurant, BBQ & Crabs at 3007 New Castle Ave., New Castle (Del. 9 North), has been open for 11 years, and trappers bring in fresh muskrat and fresh raccoon. Visit www.sunsetbbqandcrabs.com or call (302) 984-0604.

Morris Market, 36 Front St., in Frederica, and Bill's Meat Center, 215 N. King St., and Sansone's Seafood Market, 1830 W. Seventh St., both in Wilmington, also sell muskrat.

If you've never cooked it before, ask for help from the market owners who sell it. The 'rat needs to be soaked for several days to help remove some of its gamy flavor.

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com. Read her culinary blog Second Helpings at www.delawareonline.com/blog/secondhelpings and follow her on Twitter @pattytalorico.