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I may be a little out of touch, gastronomically speaking, but I was surprised to see Squirrel Pie listed as a special on the menu at the Oasis in Overcombe Bay, Weymouth. I thought it was probably a name for something else, like Toad in the Hole, or Hot Dog. Not so.
If I were marooned on an island with little else to catch, I'd probably be tempted to eat anything that looked remotely edible...but squirrel?
Since I don't have to hunt, scavenge or make ends meet like Robinson Crusoe or Man Friday, when I eat out in Weymouth I usually stick to my favourite dish, which I suppose seems just as outlandish as squirrel to vegetarians or to those who don't like seafood - the Oasis chef's delicious and reliable North African Fish Stew (which contains Moroccan spices, tomato, vegetables, mussels and prawns in their shells, scallops and cod).
This year marks the three hundredth anniversary of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (published 1719), I was recently reminded.
Not everyone reads the story from the point of view of Man Friday. Adrian Mitchell wrote a TV play and a novel through the eyes of Man Friday. It was also made into a feature film.
Raul Scacchi composed a song called "Man Friday", in which he explored the relationship between Crusoe and Friday from yet another angle.
Listen on Soundcloud, Neuromantics album, Track 8
Video of Man Friday by Raul Aike (third Neurovisions video)
Raul was a committed vegetarian, with a profound love of all animals and creatures, including little fish (listen to Atherine, on Soundcloud). His final (unfinished) project was called Minimanimalia
http://www.raulaike.it/en_minimanimalia.html
"Minimanimalia, a collection of songs about animals by Raul Scacchi, is for those that haven’t forgotten what it is to be human and the relationship we have with those beings that aren’t. It reminds us not be indifferent to their fate and suffering".
"MINIMANIMALIA, canzoniere animinimalista di Raul Scacchi, si rivolge a coloro che non hanno dimenticato il ruolo della specie, né l’apparentamento biopsichico che ci unisce alle specie altre; è in questo senso una sollecitazione a non restare indifferenti alla sorte e alle sofferenze degli animali, con l’auspicio che questa sensibilità sia destinata a crescere e a diffondersi...Il messaggio dell’artista si iscrive in un progetto di sensibilizzazione per la diffusione di una cultura del rispetto dell’ambiente e di ogni forma di vita sulla terra".
Try Bipolar Bear (YouTube) - also available on Soundcloud
Raul would have been horrified to read this:
How to earn a crust out of squirrels, MailOnline
Squirrel Pot Pie
"Squirrel is about the most ethical meat you can serve on a dinner plate; it’s free-range, plentiful and low in fat. It also tends to be local and sustainable. In many households that hunt, people eat what they kill, including squirrel".
What can I say?
"The story of Robinson Crusoe and his many years of survival alone on a deserted island has enchanted the English-speaking world for centuries. Many people first come across the story as a children’s book or a film portrayal, celebrating Crusoe’s buccaneering adventures and his heroic efforts to tame his wild environment, create shelter and food supplies, and eventually befriend the indigenous man he calls Friday. But closer reading of Daniel Defoe’s original novel, written 300 years ago this spring, reveals a more complex tale of sin and redemption, debating fundamental questions about man’s place in the world against a backdrop of colonial expansion, transatlantic commerce and the slave trade".
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