Rat for dinner!

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Monday, August 06, 2012

A New York artist has served up a gourmet meal made from rats.

Laura Ginn put together the $100-a-head feast, beginning with a rat and pork paté and following up with an entree of braised rat.

The event, created to explore urban self-sufficiency, was entitled 'Tomorrow We Will Feast on What We Catch' and Ginn served the meal wearing a dress made from 300 rat-skins.

The meal was prepared by a chef and the 75 rats had been bred for medical testing in a 'clean and safe facility' in California for the meal.

Taste-tested beforehand by the artist and chef, the main course of braised rat was described by some of the attendees as having the consistency and flavour of beef.

Accompanying the meal was a Californian chardonnay and a Spanish Grenache and Ginn broke 16-years of vegetarianism, to eat the meal.

The meal was part of an exhibition which explores Ginn's interest in self-sufficiency in cities and modern urban areas and a post-apocalyptic world.

What did the diners think about the feast? 'The head was removed, but you could see the limbs,' said one guest, of the main course of braised and grilled rodent. 'It freaked me out.'

'I live in New York, and every day I encounter rats. They are filthy,' he added, saying patrons were made to sign a disclaimer from the gallery 'in case you died or choked on something.'

At the end of the meal, there were apparently 'very few plates with something left on it' and Ginn cleared up the left-over bones which she is using to decorate the tables for future brave diners.