Posted on 06/13/2011 11:14:47 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Some say it tastes like chicken. Others say you can still tell it comes from a swamp.
The tradition of eating alligator is carried down from Cajuns in Louisiana and is slowly spreading east.
Emerald Coast residents and tourists are venturing out of their comfort zones to taste the critter, but most don’t come back for seconds.
“I don’t think there are many big gator fans out there,” said Jay Carmena, general manager of Destin Ice, which sells frozen gator meat by the pound. “Most people buy it because it’s a novelty.”
The meat has 110 calories per serving and 28 grams of protein, which makes it leaner than chicken.
Gator is sold frozen or in sausage form at some locations. The price ranges from $5.95 to $8.95 a pound.
At Gulf Coast Seafood Market in Fort Walton Beach, the alligator-pork sausage is the more popular of the two.
“I wouldn’t call gator one of the big selling meats,” said Clayton Guessford, manager of Gulf Coast Seafood. “The sausage sells a lot more, though. I think it’s easier to prepare and looks a little more familiar.”
The most popular way to prepare gator meat — which typically comes from the tail — is to fry it. Some sauté and others grill, but Guessford says the frying makes it taste more like chicken.
At one of the newest restaurants in Fort Walton Beach, the Krustee Krabb, owner Bo Knight prepares his alligator like a shish-kabob, alternating pickles and meat.
He then dips both in a hot sauce, which doesn’t quite manage to hide the distinctive taste.
“We try and prepare it so when people have it for the first time they have a good experience,” Knight said as he tossed some chopped chunks of gator meat into flour.
“The weird items sell pretty well because there aren’t many places around here you can get them.”
Don’t know about gator, but Iguana tail tastes exactly like chicken breast.
Never had gator. I did have barbecued boa constrictor once though, really tasty; I actually liked it.
I’m not sure of all the states that have alligator hunting seasons but the following do.
http://www.alligatorhunting.net/alligator-hunting-season/
Florida
Georgia
Louisiana
Mississippi
South Carolina
Texas
“We have a cajun restaurant here in town...”
That sounds good to me. I’d try it in a second!!
I don’t suppose you’re in Missouri-???
Nope. We (unfortunately) live in the Republik of Maryland. However, one of these days, I am going to see Louisiana and I made a promise to myself that I am going to try alligator. I guess I am becoming quite “the daredevil” as I get older. LOL!
We're hoping to get to the Grand Canyon this September...If we ever take another vacation again, Louisiana is high on the list. And even though I was born and spent portion of my childhood there, it'll mainly be to eat the alligator dishes we've seen on SP. I'll bet the Lousiana board of tourism never predicted reactions like that, when they were deciding whether or not to cooperate with the shooting of that show.
My whole family LOVES the show!! Troy is my favorite but each family member has their own. You are absolutely right about the show’s “cuisine”. It looks relatively simple in a home-cooking way and I would eat it in a minute. I think you are right about people viewing the show and wanting to visit and eating the family style dishes made out of alligator. Heck, I would even try that one fish that looks like an alligator (the name won’t pop into my brain).
Alligator Gar — I recommend that you don’t try it ... it’s truly nasty!
I have had alligator a couple of times, it’s okay, but I thought it was too greasy when deep-fried (maybe it was the oil used?) — in a stew/gumbo is much better.
I love Swamp People too, was just surprised me with a T-shirt with a pic of Troy on it & “King of the Swamp” :P
It’s a big seller in TN the week of the Tennessee-Florida game...the rest of the year, not so much.
I thought maybe the fried or the “stew or gumbo”. My favorite person on the show is definitely Troy. My son think that Willy is “very cool” and laughed and laughed during the episode when he caught over 300 snakes and starting throwing up after being bitten so many times. His thoughts, “Any guy that will catch that many snakes knowing he is going to be bitten and just hurls is a COOL guy”. (whatever?!)
Ha! yeah Willy is quite a character ... sometimes I worry about his choices tho’, not the brightest bulb there. I like the addition of R.J. and Jay Paul this season, cool guys and Liz is great too!
Willy is definitely not the brightest crayon in the box. I will say this: the episode that presented Glenn and Mitch.... oh my GOSH! I said, “I have had nightmares of my car going dead in the woods and turning around to see guys like this”. However, they certainly seem to be happy men! I adored the bickering and teasing between Troy and “Izabit”.
Try down at Takayashi Boudreaux's place.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.