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.
Cat stew recipe
Feral cats are one of the most serious threats to Australia's
native fauna.
One of the competition judges found the meat impossibly tough and
had to politely excuse herself and spit it out
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
