Instructions: Saute bacon, celery, onions, oleo and cayenne pepper together for 10 minutes.

Put rats in bottom of a pan you can cover tightly (my mother makes a double batch and uses the roaster she cooks turkey in). Pour sauteed mixture over the rats, and then cover with tomato soup. (Dont add water to the soup.)

Bake, covered, for 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees F or until done.

NOTES:
* Muskrat roasted in tomato sauce - In northwestern Ohio and downriver Detroit, we have "muskrat suppers" in the winter, sponsored by churches and volunteer fire departments to raise money, rather the way other people have chicken and ham dinners.

Legend has it that during the depression, the Bishop of Detroit declared muskrats to be fish (since they live in the water), so they could be eaten

* Muskrats are small rodents that live in swamp and build beaver-like houses out of cat-tails and mud. In New Jersey and Ohio, at least, they are trapped for their fur; I suspect that knowing a trapper is the only way you can get muskrats.

* The recipe book I have has a recipe for muskrats for a crowd, that (for 20 rats) uses the above ingredients (but quantities unspecified, except it only uses about 1/4 lb oleo), plus chopped green and red peppers, garlic salt, 5 bouillon cubes and 3 bay leaves. Around Detroit, muskrats are cooked with cabbage and potatoes, and some folks at home roast them with apples and onions.

Difficulty: easy once you have the muskrats.

Time: 30 minutes preparation, 3 hours cooking.

Precision: count the muskrats.

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