Who can resist roasted squirrel? Possum soup? Rabbit and mashed potatoes? Grilled porcupine? Rack of armadillo? Fried antelope? Musk rat and corn? All washed down with a cold can of Old Milwaukee. And for desert? Why of course: Winne Dixie ice cream. Chocolate or Vanilla.
White Trash cooking is a very delicate kitchen art form overlooked by the Frugal Gourmet, Julia Child, and J. Paul. It involves the fine distinction between all purpose flour and bleached flour, vegetable oil and lard, pig's feet and pork rinds. But when done right, yummy! Pure gastronomical delight. Grandma comes running every time.
Just as I would not want my dear mother back in Al Asaba, Sudan to keep to herself the family recipes of goat's testicles in lamb's milk, I would like to share with the rest of the world my private collection of white trash cookery. I do not claim to be an expert, just a great fan of this overlooked American dining experience. Due to copyright restrictions, I cannot give all of my recipes away for free. They are available in my book, I Want Mine With Ketchup: White Trash Home Dining, available from Black Acorn Press.
Possum Soup
Catch one possum. Preferably in one shot. Too much buck shot spoils the taste.
Boil eight quarts of water.
Chop up some onion and celery.
Clean the possum. Get out all of the hair and remove the pouch.
Check pouch for lice or still living young.
Chop of the head. The dogs
will thank you.
Throw the body in the pot with the veggies. Cover. Let simer for four hours. Enjoy! Serves ten.
Roasted Squirrel
Take five to eight freshly shot squirrels. Remove tails. Cut off heads. Gut
innards (they can be used later as an addition to possum soup).
Stick either a long metal stick or a piece of number 10 rebar through the squirrel.
Roast over an open fire. Marshmellows can be added.
Rabbit Salad
Shoot one rabbit.
Chop off its head and tail.
Clean off fur. Hot water and a big kitchen knife works just fine.
Boil eight quarts of water.
Make sure blood is drained before boiling.
Stick the rabbit in the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover.
Let simmer five to six hours. When done, dice up rabbit and add to a bed
of lettuce, chopped tomatoes, peeled cucumbers, and chick peas.
Top of the salad with thousand island dressing.
Bon appetite!!!
