Q. How do you prepare rattlesnake?
A. We don't, since snakes in Manhattan, if any, are in human form. But we have it on the word of an old cookbook that there's nothing to it. Just be careful—the head (it says here) can bite even after it's been severed from the body.
Cut the head from the snake and hang the snake upside down to drain for a while. Skin the snake, slit it up the middle, and remove the intestines. Slice down the length in 1-inch chunks and roll in seasoned corn meal. Fry in deep hot lard to a rich golden brown. Snake, like pork, should be well done.
This exclusive recipe is pulled directly from Gourmet's archive. It has not been re-tested by our food editors since it was published in the magazine, but it's a pretty good indication of the kinds of things we once cooked—and ate—with great pleasure.
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