Sure, pretty good, has it a few times. The truck is as with all gamey meat soak it in buttermilk overnight. Frog legs are also a occasional meal in my house.
Alligator
- Thread starter Briar Lee
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Tried alligator at a food market once.
Liked it and would definitely by more if it was around.
Liked it and would definitely by more if it was around.
I think a lot of foods are like that. Where it comes down to knowing the trick. I've noticed with fish especially that a certain type will become the next big expensive must eat trendy sea creature, but only after being cheap for years and then some chef cracks the code to make it taste amazing. Lobster is the most famous example. People know that it used to be considered gross, and you would too if you had it the way it was before someone figured out the trick to making it taste great.
Buttermilk leaches the gamey taste out of meat, trust me I didn't come up with it but it really seems to work. They say you have to soak shark in buttermilk because sharks pee through their skin.
Gator done right is awesome. When done wrong, nothing worse. Had best gator in FL. Was at Orlando for powwow thrown by my company when they actually knew how to have fun. It was Disney all day and outdoor buffet all night for a week with non-stop supply of beer and booze. Had whole alligator display with its brother nicely cooked along with other seafood on one section. That was one well prepared gator.
You haven't lived until you have had a good alligator po' boy.
There used to be a butcher's shop in nearby Helston that stocked unusual (for the UK) meats. He had alligator, kangaroo, ostrich and the like but I was never tempted.
I suppose I could eat roo or ostrich but a gator is a carnivore and as such, I just couldn't bring myself to eating one.
Jay.
I suppose I could eat roo or ostrich but a gator is a carnivore and as such, I just couldn't bring myself to eating one.
Jay.
Like others have said, gator is good when prepared right. The tail meat is the most common but it has to be tenderized properly. When I drive across the state, I usually time it to stop at a couple places just outside of Lafayette that sales a real good "Gator-on-a-Stick". When you get a alligator po-boy, it is usually the meat from along the jaw area. I've also had alligator smoked sausage, alligator boudin and a seafood stew made with alligator, shrimp and andouille sausage.
Oh dear, that's an odd combo!
I've had kangaroo and ostrich - both were uninteresting for me, but maybe it's me, I also find venison and duck pretty boring. Not goose or proper game birds though. There's some weird line in eating a carnivore for me too, then again certain fish are carnivores, aren't they?
I grew up in New Orleans and hunted and fished South Louisiana
And Florida my entire school age years. I’ve harvested dozens and will say that when cooked properly and marinated & seasoned correctly it is good. Not prepared or cooked properly or overly done it can be horrible. It’s an acquired taste and nothing like chicken
If cooking, it works well in Étouffée, Sauce Picante, Jambalaya or in a Po Boy (think of it as an oyster substitute)
Usually you’ll find it battered and fried and poorly seasoned being overly seasoned and usually to the tourist & novelty crowd. You need some recipes pm me.
And Florida my entire school age years. I’ve harvested dozens and will say that when cooked properly and marinated & seasoned correctly it is good. Not prepared or cooked properly or overly done it can be horrible. It’s an acquired taste and nothing like chicken
If cooking, it works well in Étouffée, Sauce Picante, Jambalaya or in a Po Boy (think of it as an oyster substitute)Usually you’ll find it battered and fried and poorly seasoned being overly seasoned and usually to the tourist & novelty crowd. You need some recipes pm me.
I would wager most if not all fish are carnivorous.
And yes, I'm quite partial to certain fish despite their choice of food but alligator I just couldn't stomach. They eat anything.....dogs, children, other alligators
Jay.
I have eaten alligator 3 or 4 times in the past. I believe it's only the tail that is eaten but I could be wrong about that. Anyway, to be honest I or at least to me, the alligator meat has virtually no real taste or flavor. The only flavors you get depends on the sauces that are served with it!
Not if you live in south Louisiana. LOL
The great think about gumbo is you can make it with whatever you have on hand. I have a friend in north Louisiana that makes squirrel gumbo. Most higher end restaurants have duck and andouille gumbo on the menu. another staple is crab and shrimp gumbo.
My father's family is from most of the areas used for filming Swamp People and at one time owned "land" in the Bayou Sorrel, Bayou Pigeon and Pierre Part areas.
I had a camp at Bayou Sorrel in the late 80’s early 90’s. Fished it many times
my brother in Baton Rouge uses it now.
I probably still have some cousins living in the area. We are related to the Reinharts. There used to be an old swing bridge you had to cross to get from two lane highway to where they lived. Back then they had a bar located at each end of the bridge because it would sometimes take 30 minutes or longer for the towboats to get through the bridge.I had a camp at Bayou Sorrel in the late 80’s early 90’s. Fished it many times
I also had an "uncle" who lived on a houseboat in Ramah. The houseboat was moored maybe 100 yards from where the 1-10 bridge crosses the Little Tensas Bayou..
I used to cross that bridge headed to the camp. Camp is off Gloria Street . You can google earth it. Nothing has changed since the 80’s and I have many, many memories sitting on the bank of the Lock with a 12 pack catching catfish all night and watching the barges go by.
Man, its a small world ain’t it !