I have
always been interested in words, and like many others I suspect, I
was dismayed to hear of the start of the badger cull in West Somerset
today. Don't get me wrong, I have every sympathy with the poor
struggling farmers whose animals have succumbed to bovine TB, often
it is thought, due to badgers.
However, from the little information I have been able to obtain about the 'cull', it is not intended to wipe out the badger population, so what of those that are left? How, when shooting them is one to determine whether or not they are infected?
National Farmers' Union (NFU) president Peter Kendall said: "This is an important step not just for cattle farmers but for the whole farming industry..... I hope the culls will show a reduction in TB in cattle."
Is 'hope' good enough? It suggests to me that there is a lack of firm evidence, otherwise I would expect him to be more confident in his selection of words.
Now for the word 'cull' itself. There are various definitions but in brief, the broad meaning is to 'select and remove'. This is precisely what Hitler was trying to do to the Jewish population, in an effort towards ethnic cleansing, least the rest of the population become contaminated. However, in Hitler's case it was intended to be the 'final solution'. I fear this will not be the case with the current cull.
Besides, I would be lot happier to think that having exterminated them the dead badgers could be put to some use, winter coats maybe, or even better, in my role as a professional chef, Badger Stew.
Here's a recipe, from a little known French book, Les Cuisines Oubliees.
To cook one badger you’ll need:
1 badger
1 glass of pig’s blood
1 small glass of armagnac
1 ginger root
1 bottle of dry, sparkling white wine
2 eggs
1 pot of crème fraîche
salt and pepper
500g forest mushrooms OR chestnuts to accompany
100g butter
oil
Eviscerate and skin your badger, and soak it in a fast-flowing river for at least 48 hours. This will help you to de-grease it more easily.
Once the badger is de-greased, cut it into pieces and brown it in a frying pan with butter. When the pieces are golden and stiff, flambée with the armagnac, season and add a grated soup-spoon of ginger, fresh if possible.
Pour over the wine, and simmer gently for at least two hours.
At the end of the cooking time, mix the chopped badger liver (cooked beforehand in a little oil), the glass of blood, two egg yolks, a coffee-spoon of ginger and the crème fraîche, and pour into the cooking dish. Serve immediately.
This dish goes well with wild mushrooms or chestnuts.
However, from the little information I have been able to obtain about the 'cull', it is not intended to wipe out the badger population, so what of those that are left? How, when shooting them is one to determine whether or not they are infected?
National Farmers' Union (NFU) president Peter Kendall said: "This is an important step not just for cattle farmers but for the whole farming industry..... I hope the culls will show a reduction in TB in cattle."
Is 'hope' good enough? It suggests to me that there is a lack of firm evidence, otherwise I would expect him to be more confident in his selection of words.
Now for the word 'cull' itself. There are various definitions but in brief, the broad meaning is to 'select and remove'. This is precisely what Hitler was trying to do to the Jewish population, in an effort towards ethnic cleansing, least the rest of the population become contaminated. However, in Hitler's case it was intended to be the 'final solution'. I fear this will not be the case with the current cull.
Besides, I would be lot happier to think that having exterminated them the dead badgers could be put to some use, winter coats maybe, or even better, in my role as a professional chef, Badger Stew.
Here's a recipe, from a little known French book, Les Cuisines Oubliees.
To cook one badger you’ll need:
1 badger
1 glass of pig’s blood
1 small glass of armagnac
1 ginger root
1 bottle of dry, sparkling white wine
2 eggs
1 pot of crème fraîche
salt and pepper
500g forest mushrooms OR chestnuts to accompany
100g butter
oil
Eviscerate and skin your badger, and soak it in a fast-flowing river for at least 48 hours. This will help you to de-grease it more easily.
Once the badger is de-greased, cut it into pieces and brown it in a frying pan with butter. When the pieces are golden and stiff, flambée with the armagnac, season and add a grated soup-spoon of ginger, fresh if possible.
Pour over the wine, and simmer gently for at least two hours.
At the end of the cooking time, mix the chopped badger liver (cooked beforehand in a little oil), the glass of blood, two egg yolks, a coffee-spoon of ginger and the crème fraîche, and pour into the cooking dish. Serve immediately.
This dish goes well with wild mushrooms or chestnuts.
No comments:
Post a Comment