Straight Outta Cajun: Gator Gumbo

To fully appreciate this post, you must know that I’ve spent this beautiful, sunny day not parked in a beach chair, but hard at work. That being said, hard work doesn’t seem so hard when it involves sitting on a warm porch with a cold drink, wearing the staples of any good Southern gal's wardrobe (white cotton tank paired with tiny shorts that used to be jeans) Skynyrd and Allman Brothers pumping out of the iPod as I scribble down my thoughts on my latest culinary creations inspired by my recent vacation. Folks, you’ll need to bear with me—I am still in my Floridian food phase, and in addition to Caribbean and Latin-tinged flavors, the third major influence I noticed in the Sunshine State's cuisine is the flavor of the Bayou—Cajun and Creole.

 

Braising gator legs

While South Florida is not at all rural like the locales featured on the History Channel's Swamp People, many of the culinary traditions are one in the same. Several of the bars and restaurants I visited over vacation featured gumbos, jambalayas, and fried alligator (better known as gator) on their menus. Yes, they really do eat alligators down there. And if you’ve never tried alligator meat, that is your loss—gator meat is similar in texture to dark meat chicken, and its flavor is a rich blend of game meat and mild freshwater fish. Alligator meat is high in protein and low in fat, which has increased its popularity in areas of the U.S. north of the Mason-Dixon Line as well as west of the Mississippi.

I managed to find gator legs at Savenor’s Market, and due to the ever-growing market for its meat, alligator is now easily available via mail order from many online retailers.

Alligator Gumbo

Stirring the gumbo

2 T / 30 g butter

1 green pepper, diced

1 medium brown onion, diced

½ lb. / 230 g Andouille sausage, diced

12 oz. / 340 g cooked alligator meat (recipe below)

2 large tomatoes, diced

½ lb. / 230 g fresh okra, sliced crosswise

3 c. / 690 g seafood stock

1 t. / 15 g chipotle flakes
2 large bay leaves
1 t. / 15 g dried thyme
1 t. / 15 g smoked sea salt
½ lb. / 230 g raw shrimp, shelled
1  3 oz. / 185 g tin smoked oysters in olive oil, drained
Generous amount coarsely ground black pepper
Cooked quinoa, to serve (recipe below)

Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the green pepper, onion, and Andouille sausage. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onion and pepper have softened.

Next, add the cooked alligator meat, tomatoes, okra, seafood stock, chipotle flakes, bay leaves, thyme, and smoked sea salt. Cook for 25-30 minutes, uncovered, stirring frequently.

Finally, add the shrimp, smoked oysters, and a very generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes so that the shrimp is cooked through, stirring frequently. Remove the bay leaves before serving, and spoon over cooked quinoa.

Nutritional information: serves eight.  310 calories, 11.5 g fat, 29.5 g carbohydrates, 30.5 g protein.


Braised Alligator Legs

1 lb. bone-in alligator legs
½ c. chicken broth or dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1/2 t. thyme
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, then add the alligator legs. Brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes, or until the outside turns a pale golden brown.

Add the chicken broth or wine, bay leaf, thyme, and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes.

Remove the alligator legs and discard the broth. If using the meat for the Alligator Gumbo recipe, allow the legs to cool, then use your fingers to remove the meat from the bone and shred into bite-sized pieces.

NOTE: 1 lb. bone-in alligator legs yields about 12 oz. cooked meat.


Cooked Quinoa

2 cups water
Pinch sea salt
1 cup quinoa

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the sea salt and the quinoa and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. Cover, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Uncover, let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.