The Jargon Society, founded by North Carolina poet Jonathan Williams, has been publishing fine press editions of innovative poetry and art for more than half a century. But apparently that’s not all they do. I ran across White Trash Cooking (Jargon Society, 1986) in the North Carolina Collection stacks this afternoon. Of all of the outstanding recipes in this book, if I had to pick just one to share, I think this would be it:
FRIED SQUIRREL
Make sure all the hair is cleaned off the squirrel. Cut it up. If it’s old and tough, put it in the pressure cooker for about 15-20 minutes.
Salt and pepper it. Cover with flour and fry in a cast iron skillet on a medium fire until brown and tender. This is a real sweet meat.
You can smother a squirrel just like a chicken.
This begs the question, what kind of wine would you serve with a fried squirrel? I think the answer is obvious: Cheerwine.