Desert-Style Rattlesnake
Ingredients
2 pears; halved and peeled
1/3 c golden tequila;
-approximately
1/4 c olive oil
3 md bell peppers of mixed colors
trimmed, seeded &
cut into thin strips
3 md semi-hot chiles
pasilla, or Italian frying
-peppers,
roasted & peeled, trimmed,
-seeded,
cut into thin strips
12 oz sliced nopalitos; drained
-and rinsed
cactus
ground cumin seed
salt; to taste
1 1/2 lb rattlesnake; skinned and
-cleaned
chopped into 1 1/2" lengths
1/2 ts cayenne pepper; or to taste
1/2 c flour; or as needed
3 tb unsalted butter; or as
-needed
1/3 c minced shallots or whites of
- green
1 tb lime juice
3 tb minced cilantro
Instructions
Sprinkle prickly pears generously with about 4 teaspoons of the tequila and
place in freezer for at least 1 hour. In a medium-sized skillet rapidly
heat olive oil. Add bell peppers and turn in oil over medium-high heat
until peppers start to wilt (about 5 minutes). Add chiles and nopalitos and
stir in cumin. Season with salt. Lower heat to medium-low and continue
frying, stirring occasionally, until peppers are tender (about 10 more
minutes). Meanwhile pat snake dry with paper towels; dust lightly with salt
(about 1 teaspoon) and cayenne. Dredge snake in flour, patting off excess.
Place meat on a sheet of waxed paper handy to stove. Remove anything
flammable from stove area. Heat a large (12-inch), heavy frying pan until
very hot. Melt butter. Place snake pieces in skillet meat side down. Brown
rapidly, turn, and brown other side. If using unclarified butter drain it
off; clarified butter can remain in pan. Sprinkle shallots into pan and
cook until wilted (about 30 seconds). Turn heat to low and, with a long
match in your other hand, pour in remaining tequila. Standing well away
from pan, immediately set fire to tequila. When flames die away squeeze on
fresh lime juice and scatter on cilantro.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTES : To serve, on each dinner plate place some of the pepper-cactus
mixture, some of the fruit, and some of the snake and sauce. For a more
substantial course, serve corn bread, corn muffins, or warmed flour
tortillas on the side, with butter. To eat, treat snake as finger food.
Alternate gnawing on snake (it is bony) and biting icy fruit and savory
pepper mixture. Yield: 4 as a substantial appetizer or as a light main
course.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 5276 0 2237 0 0 2607 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1358 0 0
Contributor: c 1995 Cole Group, Inc.
Preparation Time: 0:00
2 pears; halved and peeled
1/3 c golden tequila;
-approximately
1/4 c olive oil
3 md bell peppers of mixed colors
trimmed, seeded &
cut into thin strips
3 md semi-hot chiles
pasilla, or Italian frying
-peppers,
roasted & peeled, trimmed,
-seeded,
cut into thin strips
12 oz sliced nopalitos; drained
-and rinsed
cactus
ground cumin seed
salt; to taste
1 1/2 lb rattlesnake; skinned and
-cleaned
chopped into 1 1/2" lengths
1/2 ts cayenne pepper; or to taste
1/2 c flour; or as needed
3 tb unsalted butter; or as
-needed
1/3 c minced shallots or whites of
- green
1 tb lime juice
3 tb minced cilantro
Instructions
Sprinkle prickly pears generously with about 4 teaspoons of the tequila and
place in freezer for at least 1 hour. In a medium-sized skillet rapidly
heat olive oil. Add bell peppers and turn in oil over medium-high heat
until peppers start to wilt (about 5 minutes). Add chiles and nopalitos and
stir in cumin. Season with salt. Lower heat to medium-low and continue
frying, stirring occasionally, until peppers are tender (about 10 more
minutes). Meanwhile pat snake dry with paper towels; dust lightly with salt
(about 1 teaspoon) and cayenne. Dredge snake in flour, patting off excess.
Place meat on a sheet of waxed paper handy to stove. Remove anything
flammable from stove area. Heat a large (12-inch), heavy frying pan until
very hot. Melt butter. Place snake pieces in skillet meat side down. Brown
rapidly, turn, and brown other side. If using unclarified butter drain it
off; clarified butter can remain in pan. Sprinkle shallots into pan and
cook until wilted (about 30 seconds). Turn heat to low and, with a long
match in your other hand, pour in remaining tequila. Standing well away
from pan, immediately set fire to tequila. When flames die away squeeze on
fresh lime juice and scatter on cilantro.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTES : To serve, on each dinner plate place some of the pepper-cactus
mixture, some of the fruit, and some of the snake and sauce. For a more
substantial course, serve corn bread, corn muffins, or warmed flour
tortillas on the side, with butter. To eat, treat snake as finger food.
Alternate gnawing on snake (it is bony) and biting icy fruit and savory
pepper mixture. Yield: 4 as a substantial appetizer or as a light main
course.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 5276 0 2237 0 0 2607 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1358 0 0
Contributor: c 1995 Cole Group, Inc.
Preparation Time: 0:00
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