Alligator season in Arkansas is the last two weekends in September. This year, a record 202 alligators were harvested this year, which was record. My neighbor, Caro Ferguson, brought home a 6ft 3in prize. She asked me about some recipes to use the gator meat.
Which brings us to today’s recipes. We have two recipes featuring the king of the swamp. The first is a fusion dish, Sweet and Sour Alligator. The second one, Alligator Sauce Piquant, is a traditional preparation of gator. Come in from the swamp and Let’s head to the kitchen!
Sweet and Sour Alligator
Alligator is not a protein that is often found on a Chinese menu. There is a restaurant in Mandeville, across Lake Pontchatrain, that has a couple of alligator dishes when fresh alligator is available. Although this recipe is not one of the offerings at Trey Yuen, it’s a great way to put an Asian twist on the American alligator.
2 pounds boneless alligator meat
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
32 ounces chicken stock
2 cups fruit juice (orange, pineapple, grapefruit, etc.)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
Canola oil
2 onions, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup flour
3 cups broccoli florets (optional)
Hot cooked rice
Cut meat into -inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Add seasoning; toss well and set aside. Combine stock, juice, honey, and soy sauce in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid has reduced to 2 cups, about 25 minutes.
While broth mixture is simmering, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and carrots; sauté until carrots are almost tender. Add bell pepper, ginger, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Spoon hot vegetable mixture into the stock reduction; set aside.
Heat 1/2 cup of oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add flour to seasoned meat and toss to coat; shake off any excess. Fry alligator, in batches, until golden on all sides; drain on paper towels. Once all meat has been fully cooked, carefully deglaze skillet, discarding used oil and leaving browned bits in the skillet. Return meat to skillet. Add wet mixture and broccoli; stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly or until the broccoli is tender. Taste: adjust seasoning. Serve over hot rice.
Alligator Sauce Piquant
The first time I remember hearing alligator as an ingredient, this was the dish. Sauce piquant dishes tend to be spicy. In this recipe, it comes from the Rotel. You can adjust the spice my using the different spice levels that they offer.
2 pounds alligator tail meat, cubed
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
1 cup flour
2 cups onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 29-ounce can tomato sauce
1 28 ounce can Rotel tomatoes
3 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 cups seafood or chicken stock
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon fish basil, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Cooked rice
Season the meat well with Creole seasoning. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Brown meat in oil. Remove the meat and make a medium dark roux with the oil and flour. Add onions, celery and bell pepper. When the pot has somewhat cooled, add the garlic and sauté the vegetables over medium heat until tender. Add tomato sauce, rotel, stock and brown sugar and cook for 3 minutes. Add the seasoning and the meat and simmer until thickened and meat is tender. Serve over hot rice.
Alligator does not taste like chicken. It has a mild flavor and it adapts to the flavors that you put with it. If you are not fortunate enough to get your hands on fresh alligator meat, you can find good quality in the freezer section of your grocery store.
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