Tarantula Treats Recipes

DEEP-FRIED TARANTULA SPIDER

Steps:

• In a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer, heat the oil to 350°F.
• With a sharp knife, sever and discard the abdomens from the two tarantulas. Singe off any of the spider's body hairs with a crème brûlée torch or butane cigarette lighter.
• Dip each spider into the tempura batter to thoroughly coat. Use a slotted spoon or your hands to make sure each spider is spread-eagled (so to speak) and not clumped together before dropping it into the hot oil.
• Deep-fry the spiders, one at a time, until the batter is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove each spider from the oil and place it on paper towels to drain.
• Use a sharp knife to cut each spider in two lengthwise. Sprinkle with the paprika and serve. Encourage your guests to try the legs first and, if still hungry, to nibble on the meat-filled mesothorax, avoiding the spider's paired fangs, which are tucked away in the head region.

HOW TO COOK TARANTULA SPIDERS

Steps:

• Whisk an egg in a medium mixing bowl.
• Stir in 1 cup chilled seltzer water. The sparkling water makes for a lighter batter, though you can use tap water or bottled water- the colder, the better.
• Add the flour and corn starch a bit at a time, stirring minimally. Traditional batter (in Japan) is made by stirring briefly with a couple of chopsticks. It is okay to leave lumps in the batter and is best not to over-stir the batter as doing so tends to toughen the coating. Make the tempura batter just before use. It is best made fresh and not stored for later use.

TARANTULA TACOS

Steps:

• 1. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water. Cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 2. Heat taco shells and flour tortillas as directed on packages.
• 3. Spread 2 tablespoons heated refried beans on each flour tortilla. Place hard taco shell on center of flour tortilla and gently fold tortilla sides up to match taco shell sides.
• 4. Spoon 2 tablespoons beef mixture into each double-layer taco shell. Top with salsa, lettuce and cheese. Serve immediately.

EDIBLE BLOOD-SUCKING CHOCOLATE TARANTULAS WITH RASPBERRY COULIS BLOOD

Steps:

• For the caramel: Place the unopened can of condensed milk in a saucepan and cover with water. Boil for 4 hours, keeping the water level constantly above the top of the can. Remove from the pan and allow to cool for 30 minutes before opening. Cool to room temperature (about 70 degrees).
• For the coconut paste: Mix all of the ingredients together, stirring well using a wooden spoon. Reserve half (for closing the holes later). Roll the paste into 12 (1 1/2-inch) balls for the spider bodies and 12 (3/4-inch) balls for the spider heads. Make a 3/4-inch hole in the center of the larger balls. Place the condensed milk/caramel into a piping bag and fill the hole. Seal the top by adding more coconut paste, enclosing the caramel.
• To assemble: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt 1 pound 13 ounces chocolate slowly in a double boiler to 100 degrees (slightly warmer than body temperature). Add the caramel oil and stir gently. Stir in the coconut, giving the chocolate a hairy appearance. Enrobe the spider bodies and heads in the melted chocolate. Join the head and body together before the chocolate sets. Place on the prepared baking sheet and put in the refrigerator to set completely, about 10 minutes.
• Melt the remaining 3 ounces chocolate and place into a piping bag. Cut a hole in the point of the piping bag to the size of a number 2 piping tip. Pipe 56 (1 1/2-inch) long and 24 (1-inch) long z-shaped spider legs onto the parchment. Allow the legs to set at room temperature. (Do not refrigerate or the legs will curl unnaturally.)
• Remove the spiders from the refrigerator. Using a dot of melted chocolate, attach the legs to the body, 4 long legs to the side of the body and 2 short legs to the front of the head. Pipe chocolate stripes onto the body. Pipe 2 eyes onto the head and, while wet, sprinkle edible gold sparkle onto the eyes.
• Place 2 tablespoons Rasberry Coulis on the center of each plate to represent blood. Serve the spiders on pools of Raspberry Coulis.
• Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes. Put the raspberries and the sugar syrup in a blender and puree, pulsing for 6 second intervals. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Stir in the lemon juice.

TARANTULA TOSTADAS (OR TACOS)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Heat tostada or taco shells in oven as directed on box, usually just a couple of minutes.
• In a 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
• Stir in taco seasoning mix and water.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until water has evaporated. Remove from heat.
• Spoon beef mixture into heated tostada or taco shells. Top with cheese, lettuce and tomato.
• Spoon sour cream into small resealable food-storage plastic bag. Seal bag; cut VERY tiny hole in corner of bag. Pipe sour cream over top of each taco to resemble spider web.
• For each spider, top taco with 1 olive, pitted end down. Cut second olive lengthwise into 8 pieces; place around whole olive for legs. For eyes, squeeze 2 dots of sour cream onto top of olive.
• BOO!

TARANTULA TACOS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Heat taco shells in oven as directed on box.
• Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water. Reduce heat to medium; cook uncovered about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until water has evaporated. Remove from heat.
• Spoon beef mixture into heated taco shells. Top with cheese, lettuce and tomato.
• Spoon sour cream into small resealable food-storage plastic bag. Seal bag; cut tiny hole in corner of bag. Pipe sour cream over top of each taco to resemble spiderweb.
• For each spider, top taco with 1 olive, pitted end down. Cut second olive lengthwise into 8 pieces; place around olive for legs. For eyes, squeeze 2 dots of sour cream onto top of olive.