Rattlesnake Nuggets Recipe- The Other-Other White Meat

Before my job took me to Walton County, Florida, I'd never heard of a rattlesnake roundup, and wasn't quite sure what one was until some kind community members took me to their annual festival. The roundup is held in order to maintain the rattlesnake population in the region. There are even prizes given at the roundup, for categories, such as largest snake found, the largest number of snakes caught, the snake with the most rattles, just to name a few. Unlike some of the roundups held in the old west, though, the folks around Walton County made use of their catches, and fed the curious, sometimes squeamish masses. Once the judging was completed, tents around the grounds were filled with such exotic fare as rattlesnake chili and rattlesnake stew. I was not brave enough to try those. It was my first rattlesnake after all. After walking around, I found myself in front of the tent with the longest line, which included many children. What could it be? If you guessed Rattlesnake Nuggets, you are correct. And for those of you who have visited my Spicy Gator Nuggets lens, you already know that I think any kind of nugget is just plain fun. So, why not. I stood in line and got my basket, served with a side of ranch dressing to dip it in. Everyone says rattlesnake tastes just like chicken. I didn't think so. It had sort of the texture of chicken, though. To me, it tasted deep fried and golden brown, just like any other food that is deep fried and golden brown. (Especially dipped in ranch dressing.) So for those of you brave enough to try it...or for those of you who already participate in roundups and are looking for a Louisiana take on the recipe, here's my version. Enjoy.

Most of these are usually on hand in a Southern Kitchen (except the snake, of course)

1 rattlesnake, cut into nuggets

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp minced garlic

1 TBS Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

1 cup milk

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup flour

Beat the egg and milk together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and spices. Dip the nuggets in the egg mixture, and then dredge in the flour mixture. Deep fry at 375 degrees until crispy and golden brown.

Especially My Mom

If you are like my mom and get the shivers just thinking about snakes, here is a nice picture of a butterfly.

If you get too creeped out, you can always scroll back up and look at the pretty butterfly.