Brice Palmer’s Fried Alligator Bites

FloridaNative's Note:

I love fried gator tail, and the local restaurant in my area, The Black Hammock, has some of the best I’ve eaten. Unfortunately, I don’t have their recipe. We can actually purchase gator meat, fresh or frozen, at some fresh seafood houses so this is something I would love to try cooking myself. This recipe was taken from the Texas Cooperative Extension Alligator Cookbook and is posted there as a recipe from "Tony Chachere’s Cajun Country Cookbook". It sounds very good, and all recipes I’ve ever seen are very similar with the only noted differences being in the batter and seasoning ingredients. I hope you enjoy this one! NOTE: Servings and yield are estimated. Prep time DOES NOT include refrigeration time. Posted for ZWT5.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8-12

Yield: 24.0 bites

• 2 lbs boneless alligator tail meat, cut into 1 cubes
• 3 cups milk or 3 cups evaporated milk
• 1 cup mustard
• 2 tablespoons of tony's creole seasoning
• 2 cups fish, fry mix (Golden Dipt or other brand)
• 2 cups pancake mix
• cooking oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. Cut the alligator into 1” cubes and soak in milk (in the refrigerator) for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Drain milk then season meat (in the same bowl) with Tony’s Creole Seasoning.
3. Add the mustard to the bowl and mix well, coating meat with mustard.
4. Mix Fish Fry and pancake mix together in shaking bag. Drop meat cubes in shaking bag and coat well.
5. Deep fry at 375 F for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Serve hot with French fries and seafood sauce or other dipping sauce.

Reviews

[gailanng]

We love alligator balls...I mean bites. Made for ZWT5

[Mulligan]

This is the best gator I've ever had! I had to go to a local restaurant to get gator. I marinated it in the evaporated milk, as suggested. I think buttermilk would also have been a good choice. I used buckwheat pancake mix because I thought I already had regular pancake mix. Still worked. Each bite was fairly tender, about the consistency that I've had at restaurants before. I almost didn't have enough for a picture because my husband and I kept eating them! Thanks for posting! Made for ZWT5, RRR.