Name: Crispy Cajun Deep Fried Gator Nuggets
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 Free-Range Eggs; 2 tbsp Hot Sauce; ½ cup AP Flour; 2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Black Pepper; 1 tsp Cayenne pepper; 2 tsp Smoked Paprika; 2 tsp Garlic Powder; 2 tsp Onion Powder; 1 ½ tsp Dried Oregano; 1 ½ tsp Dried Thyme; ½ cup Breadcrumbs; 250g diced alligator meat; 125g Lard

Discover > Texas Recipes > Crispy Cajun Deep Fried Gator Nuggets Recipe

It's always good to try new things; alligator recipes were one of the first unconventional meats I tried, and it opened doors to a whole new alternative food system not many people talk about. More often than not people feel a certain way about eating meats that are unconventional or exotic, particularly reptiles, so thankfully there's a wide array of sustainable alternatives such as chicken, beef, and pork to fried alligator near me.

Creole Background of the Alligator

Settlers have been eating alligator in the bayous of Louisiana, over the marshes of Georgia, and across the swamps of Florida since they first hitched their posts there. While it's not as sought-after today, alligator is still relatively popular across the American southeast and can be found on farmed anywhere the environment suits it. Alligator eggs have also been as popular as their meat for a long time. They're sold from farms or harvested from the wild in states where it's legal.

Alligators were prised from far more than their meat. Alligator leather is among the most luxurious, expensive, and sought after because of its durability and softness. Throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries it was used to make boots, hats, clothing, saddles, belts, bandoliers, and anything else you can think of that could have been made from leather. Oil extracted from the fatty tissue of alligators was used to lubricate steam engines and cotton gins.

By 1961 American alligators became hunted to the point of endangerment due to their high popularity for meat and leather. After decades of revival efforts alligator is now legal to hunt in some states as long as you have a permit. It is also illegal to harvest wild alligator eggs without a permit and can result in some hefty fines and even jail time.

What Does Alligator Meat Taste Like?

Raw alligator meat is white, very low in fat, and very high in protein, around 46 grams per 100-gram serving. It only has slightly fewer calories than beef although rich in vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B12, and niacin.

Cooked alligator has a mild flavor and a firm texture. The best way I could describe it is chicken with a slightly fishy flavor and a somewhat firmer texture. A common description most people use is a combination of chicken, pork, and fish.

How Sustainable is Eating Alligator Meat?

Since revival efforts were put into action, alligator meat has become amongst the most sustainable you can eat. Alligator farming in particular helped repopulate swamps after they became endangered due to mass hunting and egg harvesting. Farming is still a widespread practice today, and it's a pretty efficient process, creating a ready local market for alligator meat for sale.

In the wild, fully grown alligators have no natural predators and very little competition aside from very large snakes. It's essential for the thriving environment to be balanced in its predators and prey animals and hunting the large reptile creates the alligator food near me we all love!

How to Prepare Alligator

Alligators can be prepared in a number of ways, grilled, barbecued, fried, etc. From my experience deep-fried is by far the most popular way to enjoy alligator, so that's exactly what we did here. When I made this alligator, I really wanted to include a lot of cajun ingredients like southern hot sauce (how long does hot sauce last?), cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic, pepper, and oregano. Lemon is a very popular ingredient in cajun cooking so if you feel like adding a dash of lemon pepper it goes a long way. I like to make a lemon and tarragon mayo in with this recipe so I didn't include lemon pepper. Combine all the spices (except for the salt) in a bowl with plain flour (how long does flour last?).

Experience the convenience and savings of buying cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic, pepper, oregano, mixing bowl, and flour online!

Pat all the gator tail nuggets dry with a paper towel and season them with salt and let them brine while you combine the flour and spices, and the egg wash with your favorite hot sauce. Evenly coat the salted alligator in the seasoned flour then in the egg wash. Drip off any excess then transfer the meat to a clean bowl and coat in bread crumbs (how long do bread crumbs last?).

Lard is very traditional to use in creole and cajun cooking. It burns slightly easier than vegetable oils so keep it at a steady 300°F. Gator nuggets aren’t that big. So, how long do you fry gator nuggets? Either shallow or deep fry the alligator for around 3 minutes until the outside is nice and crispy. Take care not to overcook the alligator because it can get rubbery very quickly.

Drain the excess grease off the alligator on a paper towel and place them in a warm oven until you're ready to serve them. If you’re looking to buy alligator online there are several Texas suppliers such as Porter’s Wild Game Processing from Anahuac TX. Fancy some alligator bites? Try this popular alligator bites recipe.

Yield: 2

Author: Mariano Clement Gupana