1 groundhog, skinned and cut into pieces
3 quarts chicken broth
1 large onion, quartered
2 bay leaves
8 oz trimmed bacon ends, diced
½ lb diced potatoes
3 carrots, sliced
1 parsnip, sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons ground pepper
12 oz pot pie noodles
2 teaspoons ground pepper
salt to taste (~2 teaspoons)
Do not fail to remove the scent glands from your groundhog carcass or your dish will be inedible. Alternatively, or out of season, you can easily substitute two rabbits for the unpleasant groundhog.
In a 6 quart Dutch oven, brown the bacon over medium high heat to a light crunch. Remove. In the remaining fat, quickly brown the sides of the pieces of your rodent. Do not overcrowd; brown 4 pieces at a time and remove.
Deglaze the pan with the 2 quarts of the broth, add the groundhog, onion, and bay and bring to a boil. Simmer very low for 1 hour. Remove meat to cool so you can debone. Remove onion and bay from the broth.
Add chopped vegetables to the broth, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add remaining broth, bring to a roaring boil again, and carefully fold in the pot pie noodles. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. The stiff boil is to prevent the noodles from sticking. Meanwhile, debone the groundhog.
Add back the deboned groundhog and the bacon, season, and simmer another 20 minutes.
Cool enough to serve