Anybody Know Where They're Selling Muscrat?

**gnome** · April-03-09, 07:13 AM

The coonman story got me thinking about Musrat dinners. During Lent you use to see them advertsied at VFW, Am Legion and Parish Halls. Didn't the Pope grant special status on the Muscrat declaring it a fish so it could be eaten during Lent?

Haven't seen a muscrat dinner lately and am wondering if anyone can recommend a good Muscrat place.

**jams** · April-03-09, 07:44 AM

\quote{ Muskrat love: Friday Lent delight for some OKed as fish alternative
By Kristin Lukowski
3/8/2007
Catholic News Service [[www.catholicnews.com)

RIVERVIEW, Mich. [[CNS) – There's an alternative to fish for some Michigan Catholics abstaining from meat on Fridays in Lent – muskrat.

The custom of eating muskrat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays in Lent apparently goes back to the early 1800s, the time of Father Gabriel Richard, an early missionary in Michigan whose flock included French-Canadian trappers. Legend has it that because trappers and their families were going hungry not eating flesh during Lent, he allowed them to eat muskrat, with the reasoning that the mammal lives in the water.

The story varies on just where in Michigan the dispensation extends. Among areas mentioned are along the Raisin River, along the Rouge River, both of which flow into Lake Erie south of Detroit, Monroe County in the southeast corner of Michigan, or all of southeast Michigan.

The Detroit Archdiocese communications department said there is a standing dispensation for Catholics downriver – in Detroit's southern suburbs and below – to eat muskrat on Fridays, although no documentation of the original dispensation could be found.}

http://www.catholic.org/national/nat...y.php?id=23328

**Maof** · April-03-09, 07:53 AM

has anyone eaten it before? what does it taste like? ewww

**jams** · April-03-09, 07:59 AM

As Johnny says somewhat like duck, a bit greasy.

**Alley** · April-03-09, 08:09 AM

There's a truckstop cafe somewhere Downriver that advertises muskrat dinners. Definitely not for us, but my husband passes it on the way to work, so I'll ask him the details when he wakes up.

**Maof** · April-03-09, 08:19 AM

oops, didn't see the mich. cath. link but come to think of it, i did see something on the food network [[bizarre foods) a while back. i think it's quite common down south.

**danofcamden** · April-03-09, 09:09 AM

There is a hall on Oak street in Wyandotte that advertises muskrat dinners. I believe it is a Knights of Columbus. St Stanislaus in Wyandotte has them also.

**BShea** · April-03-09, 09:43 AM

Good to see people showing some muskrat love.

Couldn't resist ...

**Wintersmommy** · April-03-09, 02:21 PM

uggg i remember when i was younger my dad dragged me downriver somewhere to eat this delicacy ...and i use that term loosely. I was thoroughly freaked out by the whole thing. My dad always had a thing for weird meats..i blame it on growing up in Houghton Lake in the 40's and 50's

**Lowell** · April-03-09, 02:33 PM

Makes sense about the French settlers eating muscrat. Muscrat was trapped for their fur and I am sure with the lack of supermarkets and shrink-wrapped meat counters, little went to waste.

Trapping muscrat and mink for their furs was a way for kids to make some money in the outstate Michigan small town of my youth but nobody ate them. I remember acquiring a couple of traps, chopping holes in the ice and never catching anything while my friend Jerry caught everything [BTW he was catholic]. I gave up and was glad I never caught any. It was a painful and cruel slow death for the creatures. In the case of the more valuable mink, one had to check the traps regularly because they would escape by chewing through their trapped leg.

**Gambling Man** · April-03-09, 02:59 PM

I've never seen it spelled with a "c", but I have eaten it a few times. It's a little gamey, more like lamb than duck. It's normally baked with creamed corn.....lot's of little bones, and it is cooked basically whole, like a chicken. There used to be several restaurants who served it in Monroe, but the last one left may be a restaurant called "Trappers", it is on S. Monroe St. or South Dixie Hwy....

**PCN** · April-03-09, 05:01 PM

Dom Polski Bar has muscrat dinners every Friday.

[[734) 281-9419
1519 Oak St, Wyandotte, MI 48192

**docmo** · April-03-09, 07:01 PM

I had a taste at the Ida-Maybee Sportsman Club down in Monroe County a few years back. It was very popular.

**Gistok** · April-03-09, 09:31 PM

I guess it must be a "downriver thing"....

I wonder if General Mills will make a Muskrat Helper?

They don't seem too appreciative of some of the other "critter du jour" that were making the Gag Gift circles...

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...3/ai_16007992/

LodgeDodger · April-04-09, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Wintersmommy

uggg i remember when i was younger my dad dragged me downriver somewhere to eat this delicacy ...and i use that term loosely. I was thoroughly freaked out by the whole thing. My dad always had a thing for weird meats..i blame it on growing up in Houghton Lake in the 40's and 50's

Hey...I resemble that remark! *hug*

I've never eaten muskrat, but lots of folks like it. Many like to hunt and trap. And like true hunters and trappers, they eat what they kill. Not my style, but God bless them.