From the two-lane to the table

3/28/2006

“It’s good meat for free, and I know nobody has been messing with it.” — Arthur Boyt

It is spring, and that means creatures great and small, short and tall, are waking up and wandering over hill and dale. Chances are, one of them might even wander under the front tire of your car.Do not be alarmed by this. Concerned motorists can rest easy knowing there is a practical approach we can all take when faced with the unpleasant prospect of encountering fresh roadkill.

Take it home and eat it.

Arthur Boyt, a retired civil servant with a degree in biology, has been doing just that for 30 years.

His practical interest in roadkill began at an early age, when he would cycle to his sister’s house and pick up pheasants and hares along the way. She welcomed the visits, and stocked her larder.Over the years, he has tried everything from otter to the greater horseshoe bat. He regularly eats deer, rabbit, badger, weasel, squirrel and fox.

In fact, Mr. Boyt has lived off roadkill for three decades. The practice of eating it is harmless, provided you cook the meat at a high temperature for a long time, thereby ensuring it is safe to eat.Mr. Boyt insists wild creatures are no threat to health if they are well cooked. He even goes so far as to suggest animals in their natural wrappers are better for us, devoid of the chemicals, additives, hormones and whatever else goes into the food we consume from supermarkets and grocery stores.

The variety of tastes roadkill offers can provide a welcome change from the tired holy trinity of beef, pork and chicken. Some people will tell you wild animals taste better just because they’re free.One of Mr.Boyt’s favourites is dog, a delicacy in the East that just hasn’t caught on here yet. He says it tastes a lot like lamb—but don’t take his word for it. Tell dinner guests they are enjoying natural, fully organic meat, and they will praise you for how much you care about them and the world.

Tell them they are eating a dog you found in a ditch, and their reaction might be slightly different, even though the main course is not.

Imagine a piping hot Jack Russell casserole, with the meat braised and added to a sauce of cider, mushrooms, onions and shallots sweated in balsamic and butter, with roast potatoes, baby carrots, fava beans and a nice glass of Chianti.

There is no two ways about it, eating roadkill is a natural, environmentally friendly, guilt-free way to dispose of animal carcasses. Animal lovers and conservationists should be the first ones on board.

All you have to do is keep your eyes, and mind, open. And yes, Mr. Boyt’s wife is a vegetarian, so don’t be surprised if yours becomes one too.

And don’t hesitate to invite me to supper.