Name: Salt-Grilled, Tempura, and Simmered Pit Viper
Cuisine: 和食
Ingredients: 1 pit viper; Salt, to taste; Flour, to taste; Oil, for deep-frying

About "Salt-Grilled, Tempura, and Simmered Pit Viper"

In this video, a chef with 55 years of experience cooks and tastes prepped pit viper using three different methods. First, he enjoys the natural flavor with a simple salt-grilling, then brings out its savory aroma with tempura. To overcome the challenge of numerous small bones, he also tries boiling and simmering it.

Tips for Making "Salt-Grilled, Tempura, and Simmered Pit Viper"

Prep
- Prep the pit viper beforehand and locate the bones.
Heat control
- Eat the salt-grilled viper while hot to minimize the toughness of the meat.
Cooking tips
- When making tempura, apply a thin coating and deep-fry until crispy.
Seasoning
- Use simple salt for the grilled version to highlight the natural flavor, and use special pit viper salt for the tempura to enhance the aroma.
Safety
- Do not use the head, as there is venom near the teeth of the pit viper.
Bone removal
- To remove fine bones, boil and simmer for a long time to tenderize the meat before making a simmered dish.

Ingredients for "Salt-Grilled, Tempura, and Simmered Pit Viper"

4 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

1pit viper
Salt,to taste
Flour,to taste
Oil,for deep-frying

How to Make "Salt-Grilled, Tempura, and Simmered Pit Viper"

1
Prepare the pit viper for salt-grilling
2
Sprinkle with salt and grill simply
3
Once fragrant, plate and garnish with autumn maple leaves
4
Eat while hot to enjoy the natural flavor
5
Dust the remaining pit viper with flour to create a thin coating
6
Deep-fry in oil until crispy to make tempura
7
Finish by sprinkling with special pit viper salt
8
Boil the remaining pit viper in a pot and skim off the scum
9
Simmer for a long time to tenderize the meat and prepare to remove the bones
10
Finish by assembling it into a tempura rice bowl (tendon)

Food Science

Why This Dish Tastes So Good

In salt-grilled and tempura pit viper, heating triggers the Maillard reaction between amino acids and sugars, generating a savory aroma. Additionally, sprinkling salt draws out excess moisture, concentrating the umami. Dusting the meat with flour and deep-frying it in hot oil prevents moisture loss while creating a crispy exterior, enhancing the delicious contrast between the juicy meat and the crunchy texture.

Temperature & Heating ReactionsMoisture Control

Detailed Commentary on "Salt-Grilled, Tempura, and Simmered Pit Viper"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Salt-Grilled Pit Viper! High Hopes for the Aroma

Following the previous video, this episode starts with the taste test of the prepped pit viper. The first dish prepared by the chef with 55 years of experience is a simple 'salt-grilled pit viper' to highlight the natural flavor of the ingredient. As the grilled pit viper is plated, a wonderfully savory and appetizing aroma begins to drift through the kitchen. The chef happily remarks, 'That smells great,' and insists on tasting it as-is without any extra seasonings like lemon. Since the meat becomes tough when cold, the key to enjoying it is to eat it while it is still hot. Beautifully presented with autumn maple leaves on the plate, the moment of truth is finally here.

Tasting the Grilled Viper: Like Mature Chicken?

First, the videographer, Kengorian, grabs a piece of the freshly grilled pit viper with his hands and takes a bite. His very first words are, 'The bones are so hard!' The chef advises, 'Be careful, the bones are quite tough.' Regarding the taste, Kengorian says with surprise, 'There's no gamey smell at all, and no weird aftertaste. It's actually really good.' According to the chef, the flavor is very close to 'chicken without the fat,' and more specifically, it has a unique chewiness similar to 'tough meat from an old, mature chicken' or 'sparrow meat.' Although it was slightly over-salted, the natural umami of the ingredient is well extracted, resulting in a dish that lets you feel the wild energy of nature.

Struggling with Bones! Moving on to Tempura

While the salt-grilled version is delicious, the downside is that it has many tiny bones, leaving very little edible meat. To overcome this and make it crispy enough to eat bones and all, the chef decides to turn the next batch into tempura (karaage). He dusts the pieces with flour, coats them lightly, and deep-fries them. The chef jokes, 'If I served this saying it was deep-fried sailfin poacher bones, everyone would believe me and eat it.' Kengorian suggests deep-frying the pit viper's head, but the chef firmly shows his professional commitment to safety, saying, 'I don't think we should eat the head. There is venom near the teeth. Heat might destroy the venom, but since we can't be sure, let's avoid it.'

Exquisite Tempura with Secret Pit Viper Salt

As the tempura crackles delightfully in the oil, the chef brings out his special 'pit viper salt.' This is a unique seasoning he made previously, and he generously sprinkles it over the freshly fried tempura. Tasting it himself, the chef praises it highly: 'The aroma is amazing! Delicious!' The crispy texture of the batter pairs perfectly with the savory flavor of the pit viper salt. Kengorian then tries the hot tempura. Although the bones are still somewhat tough, deep-frying has significantly boosted the savory aroma, offering a deep, rich flavor quite different from the salt-grilled version.

New Ideas and Challenges to Overcome the Bones

Although the tempura was well-received, both of them couldn't help but think, 'If only it didn't have these bones, it would be even better.' The chef begins searching for a way to cleanly remove the fine rib bones. He decides to try a new cooking method: boiling the remaining pit viper and simmering it for a long time to make the meat fall-apart tender, allowing them to remove the bones cleanly before making a simmered dish. This way, they can enjoy the full umami of the pit viper without worrying about the bones. He immediately starts boiling it, and a large amount of scum rises to the surface. Unfortunately, during this challenge for the third dish, a microphone audio issue occurs, and the video's sound cuts out.

Overcoming Audio Issues to Finish with Tendon

Although the simmered dish couldn't be fully shown to completion, they proceed to the final 'closing' dish: a special tempura rice bowl (tendon) using the pit viper. In the footage, the chef skillfully places the tempura on a bowl of rice and finishes it with a drizzle of sauce, while the audio remains silent and on-screen text guides the viewer. The chef apparently shared his unique survival philosophy, saying, 'Maybe only one in ten people would eat pit viper, but to survive, you have to be able to eat things like this.' Finally, the two stand side-by-side, say 'Itadakimasu' (bon appétit) with hands clasped, and wrap up this valuable pit viper tasting challenge with a smile.

[55 Years of Chef Experience] Prepping and Eating Pit Viper! It's Actually Pretty Good!