Louisiana is known as the Alligator Capital of America. These huge reptiles live wild in the bayous of Louisiana, but the alligator meat that appears on practically every restaurant menu and for sale in every grocery store in the state’s coastal regions comes from an alligator farm. That’s because alligator meat can legally come only from alligator farms. Alligator meat is high in protein and low in fat. It is said to have the flavor and texture of chicken but with a slight fishiness. It can be roasted, smoked, fried, or sautéed, and is often used in traditional Creole dishes such as gumbo.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 2 lbs okra, stems removed
- Water, as needed for boiling
- Vegetable oil, as needed for frying
- 2 lbs alligator meat, sliced into strips about 1 inch long and ¼ inch thick
- 12 oz butter
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
- ½ cup green bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 2 large cans (14.5 oz each) stewed tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- Cooked rice, as needed for serving
Directions
- Cook the okra in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. Reserve cooking liquid in a separate container.
- Add vegetable oil to a large skillet and turn heat to medium-high.
- Add alligator meat and lightly sear. Remove from skillet and set aside
- Add butter to the skillet and sauté onions, garlic, celery, red peppers, and green peppers until tender.
- Add all cooked vegetables but okra to the pot. Add stewed tomatoes, parsley, cayenne, ground black pepper, and salt.
- Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add okra to the pot, along with a small amount of the okra cooking water. Cook for about another 10 minutes.
- Add alligator meat and reduce heat to low.
- Cook until meat is tender, about 60 minutes. Add more okra cooking water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Serve over rice.
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