Rabbit sectioned and fried identical to chicken — seasoned, floured, cast-iron fried. First protein for countless sharecropper families.
Cottontail and swamp rabbit were the first meats many Black sharecropper families controlled. You could trap rabbit when you owned nothing else. Black men ran trap lines before dawn and brought home protein their families could not otherwise afford. Fried rabbit fed the same tables as fried chicken — it was not a substitute; it came first.
Rabbit is one of the leanest proteins in existence — under 3g fat per 3oz, 28g protein, near-zero sodium in wild form. The selenium and B12 content rivals beef. For communities with high rates of metabolic syndrome and hypertension, rabbit is a restorative protein with no processing load and no sodium tax.
Section rabbit into 8 pieces. Soak in cold salted water or buttermilk 2-4 hours to remove any gaminess. Season with salt, black pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder. Dredge in seasoned flour. Fry in cast iron in avocado oil or lard at 325°F, 10-12 minutes per side. Rest on a rack, not paper towels, to preserve crust.
Free, no account needed to ask.