Fantisimo! This recipe was recommended by the game preserve that I shot a hippo at. The game preserve makes great use of Lake Huron so that it feels as close as a real hunt you'd have in Africa. The butchering was included in the cost, so I took it home fresh. I bought a huge cauldron to make the stew in. There's nothing like the taste of meat that's stewed over a fire. As Margie mentioned, don't forget the bay leaves! Leave the spicy out of the stew if you're throwing a party, but offer guests a bottle of hot sauce to add to reach their desired level. People raved about the stew! Unfortunately, I did not have any leftovers. All the more reason to make this again.

Kristina!
...a game preserve?!?
Didn't your mother teach you that you can't poach hippo?!?
Poaching would add months to the preparation!
...just a nice, slow, uncovered simmer where you can see the bubbles break just below the surface of the stew.

I'm made this for a graduation party! It was a hit! It meat was tender and the butcher even through in a few rhino tails to help with seasoning the stew. I had to cook it for another hour or so and keep flipping the hippo over in the pot as the hippo was more on the larger size of medium. Here's a tip, ask your butcher to remove the teeth first. These were a distraction in the stew and added no flavor, good thing was that people took them home as souvenirs from the party!!! Thanks for this!

This can not be done and everyone is lying!

C'mon up outa that basement and experience what the world has to offer!

Apparently my hippo wasn't dead, epic fail.

My husband has talked about growing up eating this stew from his childhood for many years and now that I finally have the recipe to make it, perhaps he'll shut his yapper once and for all. He better appreciate all the trouble I'm going through for him .. the lousy so and so! Never a kind word or a hint of gratitude from the mole of a man I married 8 years ago. I only married him because I was lonely, and he needed the green card to live here. I wonder if he even really loves me .. perhaps once I make this stew, he'll see me through new eyes. *crossing fingers*

Best hippo stew I've ever had! I had a sweet wine with it and that just finished off the meal perfectly!! Thank you for this recipe!!!

Helped my son's Scout Troop make it after a hike. Fed 12. Some were still hungry. Otherwise, they loved it.

Good for you! HIPPO STEW is way better than any of the glop my son's troop ever made. They should be quite content with this even if you used some trail spice! Watch out- they will make you the official Grub Master.

I will shortly be hosting a dinner party for the entire population of Patagonia. I was wondering what to cook and hippopotamus stew seems easy to prepare and the ideal main course. Do you know where I can bulk buy about 2500 hippos? For side vegetable dishes I thought 47000 metric tonnes of carrots and green beans would be ideal. I am a bit stuck for pudding, but I thought if I bought the entire banana crop from Papua New Guinea and 39000 tonnes of vanilla ice cream that should do it.

A special meal (such as yours) calls for HOMEMADE ice cream!

Tasted a bit like platypus with overtones of koala, great smoked in rainforest chips.

Use elephant chips! You will thank me later.

Fun recipe. Not original of course - Camel Stew from the 80s was the same, except only required one rabbit.

With Federal cutbacks to places like the Baltimore Zoo, I was able to purchase an adult hippo at bargain basement prices. I'd been keeping it in the alley outside my row home and corn feeding it until I found the perfect recipe. This was it.

My friend Caro from Zimbabwe suggested that the 2 front teeth are kept well polished as they can be used later as chopsticks if you choose to serve the stew with noodles. She was also adamant that I use water from the Limpopo River along with its aquatic plants to ensure "a down home taste". I added 1/2 metric ton of minced lemon rind to the broth and 1/2 tsp oregano as well. It was a hit.

Well, it wasn't too bad! I think a lot of time preparing the hippo can be saved by microwaving him (or her)! A medium sized hippo will fit inside with a little work. But really, after all that work, I felt the hippo stew tasted a lot like chicken stew!

Love it. Hard to find hippos in Sydney - if using frozen hippo meat remember to allow 2-3 weeks to thaw.

Can you substitute rhino? Much more accessible around here.

Can you use 2 pudus instead of the rabbits?