Snakes are one of the specialties of the Mekong Delta, favored by many. In particular, when it comes to snakes, one cannot overlook the hotpot dishes. Today, the specialized page In the Kitchen of TasteVN will guide you on how to make 2 delicious and unique snake hotpot dishes: snake hotpot with lemongrass and steamed snake hotpot with chicken. Let’s head to the kitchen right away!
1. Snake hotpot with lemongrass
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Preparation
25 minutes
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Cooking
45 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Snake hotpot with lemongrass For 5 people
Snake 1 kg Lemongrass 5 stalks Peanuts 300 gr White radish 1 piece Coconut water 1 liter Loofah 2 pieces Straw mushrooms 200 gr Water spinach 100 gr Instant noodles 6 packs (or Fresh rice noodles) Common spices a little (salt/ sugar/ ground pepper)
How to choose fresh straw mushrooms
- To buy fresh straw mushrooms, you should choose those that are intact and have a distinctive aroma.
- Fresh and delicious straw mushrooms are round and still have their caps. The caps are large, and the stems are short.
- It is advisable to buy straw mushrooms that are black because they tend to have a richer flavor and aroma than white straw mushrooms.
- Do not choose mushrooms with caps that have opened up, damaged ones, or those with an unusual odor.
How to Prepare Snake Hotpot with Lemongrass
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Prepare the Snake
After purchasing the snake, cut its throat, dip it in boiling water, then scale it, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Rinse the snake’s entrails with salt water and let them drain.
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Prepare Other Ingredients
Wash the peanuts, then briefly boil them in hot water for about 7 – 10 minutes until they are soft, then remove and let them drain.
Peel the outer layer of the lemongrass, wash it thoroughly, then cut it into pieces about 3 finger lengths long.
Peel the white radish and loofah, wash them with water. Cut the radish and loofah into bite-sized pieces about 1/2 finger thick.
Trim the mushroom stems, soak them in diluted salt water for about 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water and let them drain. For the water spinach, remove any damaged leaves and wash it thoroughly to drain.
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Cook the hot pot
When the water boils again, add the snake, cook on high heat for 15 minutes. When the water is boiling, add the organ meat and continue to cook on high heat.
Tip: Remember to skim the foam to make the hot pot broth clearer and sweeter!Then, season the hot pot with a mixture of spices including: 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper. Reduce to medium heat and cook for about 30 minutes.
When the snake is cooked, add the radish and the remaining chopped lemongrass, cook for another 10 minutes, season to taste, and let it simmer on the stove.
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Final Product
Add some loofah, water spinach, and straw mushrooms into the hot pot to make the dish more diverse and appealing, wait about 3 – 4 minutes for them to cook and then you can eat.
The hot snake hot pot is extremely attractive. You can enjoy this hot pot with fresh vermicelli or instant noodles, both are very delicious!
Snake meat is both sweet and chewy, with a crunchy texture, and the hot pot broth is fragrant and refreshing. I assure you that your whole family will love this hot pot of yours!
2. Steamed Snake and Chicken Hot Pot
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
50 minutes
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Difficulty Level
Easy
Ingredients for Steamed Snake and Chicken Hot Pot Serves 4 people
Snake 500 gr Chicken 300 gr Chinese herbs 1 pack Fresh chili 2 pieces White wine 50 ml Sweet cabbage 300 gr Shallots 1 bulb Garlic 3 cloves Fresh vermicelli 1 kg Salt a little Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Common spices a little (salt/ seasoning powder/ monosodium glutamate)
How to choose delicious and safe chicken meat
- Choose chicken meat with thin, characteristic golden skin, and a moderate size and weight.
- When buying, you should select pieces of chicken that have a bright red color, and when touched, they feel firm and have a certain elasticity.
- Avoid buying chicken with bruises, blood clots, or abnormal odors.
How to prepare Snake Chicken Hot Pot
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Prepare snake and native chicken
To save time, you should buy pre-processed snake meat, and when you get home, just wash it and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Use coarse salt to scrub the chicken meat all over, then wash it clean and let it dry. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
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Seasoning, braising
You put the snake and chicken into the pan, marinate with a mixture of ingredients including: 1 pack of herbal medicine, 2 fresh chili peppers, 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 50ml of white wine.
Stir well to let the seasoning absorb into the snake and meat, then place the pan on the stove, set to medium heat and braise for about 7 – 10 minutes for the seasoning to soak evenly.
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Preparing other ingredients
Sweet mustard greens you buy should have the roots and spoiled leaves cut off, the yellowed leaves should be washed with diluted salt water and drained.
Shallots and garlic should be peeled, washed, then crushed and minced.
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Cooking the hot pot broth
Place a pot on the stove, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and sauté the shallots and garlic until fragrant. Then, add the braised snake and chicken, pour in 1.5 liters of water, and cook over medium heat for about 50 minutes.
When the hot pot is cooked, you should adjust the seasoning to taste, add the sweet mustard greens and cook for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat to finish.
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Final Product
The steamed snake chicken hotpot is incredibly appealing and irresistibly delicious. The snake meat is chewy and crisp, the chicken meat is tender and sweet, and the fresh greens are light, all blended with the refreshing hotpot broth, subtly fragrant with Chinese herbs.
This dish is very delicious when served with fresh noodles or vermicelli, and when you treat your family to this dish, rest assured that both your family and friends will love this unique meal of yours!
How to choose fresh and delicious snake meat
- A good piece of meat is one that is not soft or slimy; it should feel firm, resilient, and elastic when touched.
- When buying snake meat, pay attention to the smell; if you detect a sour odor or a strong chemical preservative smell, you should not purchase it.
- You should prioritize purchasing the rat snake or the water snake as these two types are non-toxic, with firm, fragrant, and tasty meat.
- You should buy from reputable quality sellers to ensure health safety; it is even better to ask the seller to help with the preparation to make it easier and save cooking time.
Instructions for simple snake meat preparation
- Step 1: Place the snake in a pot of hot water at about 60 – 70 degrees Celsius for 3 – 5 minutes, cover the pot, and hold it tightly to make the snake die, then take it out into a bowl.
- Step 2: Cut off the snake’s head and use a knife to scrape off the scales to clean the snake’s skin.
- Step 3: Then, from the throat, use a knife to make a cut or use a scissors to cut down to the snake’s tail, take out the intestines and eggs, and wash them with diluted salt water.
- Step 4: Use a knife to remove the backbone and small bones inside the snake. Chop the snake meat into small bite-sized pieces, rinse with clean water, and let it drain thoroughly.
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Detailed guide on 2 how to make snake hotpot that is extremely delicious and appealing, using simple ingredients to bring your family a dish rich in Western flavor. Quickly save the recipe and share it so that many people can know. Wishing you success!
