Reply #5: The best possum dinner ever! [View All]

I had in the Caribbean. Actually it was a manicoot (sp?) the Caribbean version of possum.

First, build a small fire from grass or hay -- not wood. You want flame, but not much heat. Put the whole possum, ungutted in tact, on the grass fire, to burn off the hair.

Once all the hair is burned off, use a scraper and water to get any remaining hair and scurf. Now you can gut, behead and divide the possum.

In a little oil put about a tsp of sugar and let it burn into carmel, and then brown the possum pieces. Add onions, garlic until translucent. Add herbs -- which in the west indies is generally thyme and chives (scallions). Then add water and cook until tender.

The advantage of this recipe is that possum, like pork, has a delicious fatty skin, so it is tastier to de-hair it and leave it one, rather than to skin it.