Jeremiah Doughty | From Field to Plate
With spring and summer approaching it means one thing, snake weather. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been hunting spring turkey and come upon a rattlesnake out sunning himself in the midday sun. For many hunters when they happen to run into one of these ground noise machines with fangs, the first response is fear and to run. This is not the case for me, when it comes to seeing a rattlesnake or any snake for that matter the first thing I think of is just how tasty they are.
The recipe below is one of my favorite recipes to create with snakes. I don’t skin and chop like most folks, I take the time to de-bone the snakes. Their main meat is essentially a long back strap. So taking the time to trim it off will give you a much better cut of meat. I then like to cut into chunks and beat with a tenderizing mallet a couple times to help break down the tough meat.
Ingredients
- 1-2 snakes, deboned and cut into 1-inch chunks.
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup cooking oil (I love avocado oil; it has the highest flash point and doesn’t burn or smoke until 500 degrees.)
Directions
1. Chop snake meat into 1-inch cubes, nice bite size pieces. Then pound 4-5 times with a mallet to tenderize.
2. In plastic bag mix all dry ingredients, close bag and shake to mix.
3. Add egg to medium bowl and beat until yolk in mixed with whites.
4. Add snake and coat with egg wash.
5. Add snake to bag in batches and shake to fully coat, remove and set aside until all snake chunks have been coated. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
6. While snake is resting, add oil to wok or skillet and heat over medium.
7. Once oil is hot, add the snake in batches, cooking fully to crispy - about 4-6 minutes per batch.
8. Once all snake has cooked set aside and start on your orange glaze.
Orange Glaze Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1⁄4 cup water
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons white vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest,
- peels
Directions
1. Mix together in small bowl orange juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, white vinegar and zest until sugar is dissolved, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix smooth, set aside.
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok or skillet.
3. Next add ginger and garlic; sautee for 30 seconds.
4. Stir in crushed red pepper and rice wine stir for 15 seconds to mix.
5. Add orange juice mixture to wok or skillet and bring to a boil, stirring often so not to burn sauce.
6. Once sauce comes to a boil add cooked snake and stir until evenly coated.
7. Remove from heat and place on a bed of brown rice, then garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
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